


The Secrets We Keep

by Emma_Swan



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alpha Kara, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Breeding Kink, Classism, College AU, Comedy, Drama, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, G!P Kara Danvers, Kara is still Supergirl, Knotting, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Lena, Oral Sex, Pregnancy, Romance, Rutting, Secret Relationship, Smut, arranged mating, jealous kara, jealous lena
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-03-19 19:19:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 58,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18976771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_Swan/pseuds/Emma_Swan
Summary: Being an omega is rough for anyone, but being a Luthor on top of it is worse. With her brother dictating which alpha gets to become her mate, Lena’s last year of university will either break her or make her as she decides to go after the alpha she wants: Kara.





	1. Chapter 1

Lena is wearing a skin tight leather dress with two golden chokers when she first meets Kara: she gives her an intense stare as they pass each other, noticing the heavy scents in the air that reveal a strong mutual attraction. 

 

For her own sake, Lena dresses more conservatively after that. She tries to dodge Kara between classes and sticks to her very regimented schedule. 

 

It becomes harder when they _actually_ begin speaking to one another, when Kara’s face lights up in Lena’s presence and she can feel those innocent blue eyes undressing her. 

 

At night, Lena sits at her desk with a lamp on, poring over her textbooks to keep her mind from wandering to Kara. 

 

It’s not appropriate to fantasize, not when she’s supposed to be saving herself for someone — an alpha from a powerful family, whose birthright practically guarantees a connection with a rare omega like her rather than a standard beta. 

 

As an omega, Lena is bound to certain unspoken rules of courtship: the alpha must be deemed a suitable match by the highest-ranking member of her own household. 

 

It’s especially important that Lena partners with the right alpha, because the Luthor family’s reputation has suffered in the past and her choices will affect their public standing. 

 

It would be considered disgraceful if anyone knew how Lena lusted after Kara Danvers, an alpha from a middle class background — an alpha who is seen as kind and humble, rather than forceful and confident like most others. 

 

But Lena prides on herself on avoiding alphas with attitudes — on putting on her stern and strong airs that make her seem superior and so very unlike other, submissive omegas. 

 

It’s a turn off when an alpha invades her personal space, except that Lena likes when Kara does it. 

 

It’s easy to get cozy in the library with Kara, or to sit next to her at lunch just to feel their thighs touch. 

 

Lena always finds herself a little less composed in Kara’s presence—much less able to concentrate when they even bump into each other on campus — and yet for the most part, she’s able to keep her act up and pretend otherwise. 

 

It isn’t until her first heat of the year that Lena knows she’s truly damned. 

 

The Dean of residency tries to enforce the rule that Lena take a leave of absence, and wait out the heat at home, but Lena refuses to jeopardize her academic standing or her role as sorority president. 

 

She’s determined not to retreat into isolation and tells everyone, including all of the school administration, that she can handle this herself. They have her sign two waivers, but in the end she wins her fight and she’s given freedom to remain at the university during her heat. 

 

Lena puts on the bravest face possible and struts around her classrooms, enters the dining hall with her chin held high, and even turns up to dance practice with her usual energy. 

 

She ignores the way alphas react to her, how they flock around her, or make remarks and dark threats. With cold eyes and a tight smile on her lips, Lena overlooks it when her dancing partner attempts to grope her. 

 

Lena thinks she’s been victorious when she’s made it halfway through her heat. She’s walking back to her sorority house late one night after studying at the library. 

 

Kara had been there, and although Lena’s arousal had drenched her panties, she had still managed to finish reading a chapter of her history text, even with her knees locked and shaking beneath her desk. 

 

But as she’s about to cross the quad to her building, Lena hears a man snicker behind her. 

 

“You think you’re so much better than everyone else, don’t you?” comes a gruff voice, and John Corben strides purposefully towards her. He’s sandy haired and fair eyed, with a strong jaw and cheeks that hollow when he smiles at Lena. 

 

They are in some of the same classes, and John has spent time at her sorority house with some of her housemates, but he’s never been friendly towards her. 

 

“I think you’re asking for attention by refusing to go into isolation,” John remarks. “The question is, whose attention do you want? Is this some kind of political statement aimed at the school, or are you doing all of this for a specific alpha who you’re hoping will knot with you?” 

 

Lena swallows and tears her eyes away from John, not willing to engage with him. She begins to turn away, and yet he steps in front of her path to give her a challenging nudge backwards. 

 

“I don’t want attention,” Lena asserts in a firm, but mild tone of voice. “I want to graduate at the top of my class, and as the semester has only just begun, it would be foolish to leave now. This is my final year and all of my upper level courses are much more demanding. I plan to be a leader someday—perhaps even a senator.” 

 

John snorts as if he doesn’t believe her and places a hand on her shoulder. He bends to her height, addressing her the same condescending way her older brother might. “Lena, Lena,” he chuckles, without even a trace of a smile. “Isn’t that a political history book in your hand? Name a single omega with a seat on the senate. Hell, name a single omega who has graduated from this university at the top of the class. And you’re a Luthor, besides.” He’s smug now and his smile appears again, cruel and mocking as he brushes a strand of hair from her face. 

 

Lena flinches away from the touch and backs out of his personal space, going in a wide circle around him. “They’ll just have to print a new edition of this book to add my name then,” she brags. “Have a good night, John. I need to get back to my house. I have an early class tomorrow morning.”

 

“Not so fast,” John complains, trailing after her and glancing up sharply from her ass when she swings around to face him. “You didn’t answer my question about the alpha you’ve been trying to attract,” he clarifies. “It’s Kara Danvers, isn’t it?” 

 

Lena pales as she hears Kara’s name on his lips and she clutches her book tighter. “Why would you think that?” she replies, though she’s soft of speech, too startled to cover up her distress. 

 

John howls out a laugh, instantly recognizing her panic for what it is, and then he’s leaning in to caress her face. “Danvers!” he declares. “I just knew it was Danvers. You’re always half-dressed when she’s around, aren’t you?” His eyes sweep down to her low neckline, then to the end of her skirt and he whistles. “You’d better cover yourself up from now on, or that pathetic excuse of an alpha might get the wrong idea about you. I’d hate to tell your brother about all of this—how you’ve stayed here at school just so you can parade around Danvers like you’re asking for it—”

 

Lena’s breath catches in her throat and she jabs John in the chest. “I am not asking for _anything,_ “ she fumes. “And why would you bring my brother into this? You don’t even know him!”

 

“I do,” John calmly reports, leaning in to her touch until she’s uncomfortable. “I do know your brother. He’s friends with my aunt and he has a professional relationship with my father. Speaking of my father, your brother contacted him recently to discuss the possibility of a match between us. It seems he’s also been in touch with other prominent families. There are three other alphas I know who are under consideration as potential partners for you, Lena.”

 

Lena drops her book and then dives to get it, all to prevent John from seeing how this news completely shatters her. “You must be mistaken,” she argues. “My brother would never do that. We live in a modern world and he’d never make a choice like that for me. He isn’t old fashioned, and he doesn’t believe in the courtship rules. Now, please, I need to get inside. It’s late and I shouldn’t be seen with you. It’s your reputation on the line, just as much as it is mine.” 

 

She’s lying and they both know it, but she handles herself gracefully enough that John doesn’t push the issue. He stands back, bows low and then slinks off across the green quad. 

 

Lena rushes back to her house and collapses into a heap on her bed, not even bothering with pajamas or to remove her make-up. She hugs her pillow and sniffles back the urge to cry.

 

It’s an impulsive decision to text Kara and her hand trembles as she awaits a reply to her question: 

 

_Can you meet me?_

 

Kara’s response is fast: _Now? I don’t mind that it’s late, but wouldn’t that start rumors, especially because of. . . you know?_

 

Lena types an even quicker answer: _No one has to know you’re here. How are you at climbing trees?_

 

Kara writes: _My mom used to joke that I could fly because I climbed the oak by our house all of the time when I was growing up. Then I’d get onto the roof and practice jumping down onto a trampoline. I did stunts just for fun._

 

Lena texts: _There’s a tree outside of my bedroom. It’s also an oak. I’ll open the window for you. Fly up to me._

 

Lena hurries around her bedroom, gathering up the few items that might be out of place or embarrassing. She places the cover over her hamper, where her wet panties have piled up over the last week. 

 

After a brief debate with herself, Lena leaves her stuffed tiger on her bed right where it is, and then cracks open the window. 

 

Kara’s already perched in the tree and transfers her weight easily to the sill. She swings her leg into Lena’s bedroom and takes a quick glance around. “Pretty sure there are some twigs in my hair,” Kara smirks, tugging a leaf out of her wavy blonde hair, and doing her best to stand up straight.

 

In ragged jeans and a sweater, Kara looks endearingly studious and dorky, but tonight she’s not wearing her black-rimmed glasses. She gets a whiff of Lena’s scent and her bottom lip falls open as she takes a deep inhale. “So, what’s going on?” Kara asks. “Please don’t tell me you want to continue studying—”

 

Lena’s pussy aches and clenches around nothing, reminding her of its emptiness and need. She gestures towards the bed and at the flat screen television on her wall. “I want to watch a movie,” she quietly explains. “And the truth is, I really just wanted your company. I consider you a friend, Kara. I know I tend to be aloof, but I need a friend tonight.”

 

Kara smiles at that, blushing along the bridge of her nose and over her high cheek bones. “I’m happy you chose me,” she admits and settles on the edge of the bed where Lena points for her to sit. 

 

Lena bends to untie the straps on her designer heels and Kara watches, too mesmerized to realize she should be removing her own shoes. 

 

Kara eventually gets the hint and pulls off her canvas sneakers. They both climb onto the bed together and it feels normal when they gravitate close, and Lena’s head ends up on Kara’s shoulder. 

 

There’s a palpable heat and tension between them, which neither one mentions, but it keeps rising towards a breaking point. Lena turns on a movie and it becomes a drone in the background to their foreplay.

 

“I’ve never invited anyone to my bedroom,” Lena confesses, feeling out of her depth but driven by a sexuality so natural to her. She plays with her skirt, moving it further up her thigh as if it’s been bothering her. “Not even my sorority sisters, who are all betas.”

 

Kara gulps, and the outline of her erection is visible in her pants, thick and unmistakable to Lena. “I guess I should be honored,” Kara considers. “What did I do to earn this privilege?”

 

“You’re always respectful,” Lena points out, raising an eyebrow as she remembers one time when Kara had been less than that. “Except for that time when one of my thongs fell out of my gym bag. I saw you bend to pick it up, Kara, but you never gave it back.”

 

Kara freezes at that and she shakes her head, eyes wide as she explains herself. “I didn’t—I didn’t want anyone to see me handing your underwear back to you, and it was covered in your personal scent, Lena. What if someone else picked it up? I did the first thing I could think to do, which was to get rid of it.”

 

“I have no doubt that your intentions were _ultimately_ honorable,” Lena insists with soft laughter, dragging her eyes down Kara’s well-toned arms and to the obvious crest in her pants. “You could have kept the thong,” she whispers. “I wish that you _had_ kept it.”

 

Kara makes a quiet choking noise and her tongue seems momentarily stuck. 

 

It’s unbearable for them both to sit this close together with the electricity of their attraction delivering the occasional shock to their system. 

 

Lena moans, no longer the picture of self-control as Kara’s hand falls instinctively on her thigh and pushes her skirt up further. “Is this okay?” Kara asks, more bold with her than ever before. “Is this why you invited me here tonight?” 

 

Kara keeps her hand there, rubbing her without drifting any higher. 

 

Lena’s wetness sops through the thin fabric covering her pussy. The light panty is such softly spun silk she can hardly feel it anymore. 

 

“Maybe,” Lena noncommittally replies and frowns when Kara immediately removes her hand. “I mean—yes. I have to tell you the truth, even if it’s an indecent one. I know you’re intrigued by me, Kara. It’s not something you can hide well. Do you want to spend the night with me?”

 

Kara frowns deeply, and Lena knows that Kara’s not thinking of herself. They are both focusing on the consequences, on the risk that this presents to Lena’s future. 

 

“You can’t do this, Lena,” Kara determines and stands up in a flash, ready to pull on her shoes again. “You shouldn’t just make a huge decision like this on the spur of the moment, even if your body is screaming at you to do this right now. Is something wrong?”

 

Lena hates how easily Kara sees right through her, how her own eagerness is met outwardly with the disappointment she should be feeling towards _herself_ right now. 

 

“My older brother is already looking for a suitable alpha for me,” Lena abruptly admits, her breath hitching and emotion flooding over her face all at once. “He apparently has a few possibilities in mind.”

 

“What? He can’t make that choice for you. No one can. That’s not even legal.“ Kara rants, her eyebrows furrowing and her chest puffing out in a defensive stance. 

 

“It might not be legal, but it happens, Kara. It’s just never discussed. There are courtship rules that many households still observe,” Lena sighs, frustrated with her own situation and how much she’s managed to upset Kara. “Please just focus on the fact that I want to be with you. We can share a night together—“

 

“We can’t. I didn’t bring any protection because this was the last thing I expected to happen. Not only could this completely ruin your future, but what is your plan?” Kara counters, pacing across the carpet in her socks as she ponders the best way to talk Lena out of this, no doubt. “Do you plan to do this, and then accept whoever your brother chooses for you?”

 

“I don’t know,” Lena breathes. She’s honest to a fault whenever it involves Kara, honest because she has genuine feelings for her that she’s too frightened to articulate just yet. “It’s rare that I say this, but I hadn’t thought it through,” she continues. “I’m just asking for one night with you—“

 

“I want it to be special,” Kara replies, shrinking and losing some of her indignant energy. “You deserve something special, Lena. A night out, some romance—something real.”

 

“You are _real_ with me, aren’t you?” Lena asks, unsure of why that question makes Kara restless.

 

“Always. I’m more myself with you than I am with anyone,” Kara promises, and Lena takes the reassurance seriously, enough to stand up and lead Kara back to the bed. 

 

Kara remains antsy, even as she sinks back into the place she recently vacated. “Are you sure you want this?” she frowns. 

 

Lena’s head finds its way back to Kara’s shoulder and she affectionately nuzzles into her neck. Her mouth leaves behind a trail of lipstick marks and Kara’s hands fist in her skirt. 

 

“I’ve wanted you for a long time. Probably ever since I saw you,” Lena discloses. “You are my choice.” 

 

Kara bunches the fabric and then finds the zipper at the back of the skirt. The quiet noise of it sends shivers of anticipation up Lena’s spine.

 

Then Kara kisses her with softness that becomes harder and insistent enough to smear her bold red lipstick everywhere. Lena pants from it, hot against Kara’s neck as she peels herself away, wondering whether this is right or not, wondering one last time if she’s ready. 

 

She chooses not to second guess it when Kara’s fingers tangle in her sheer panty and push underneath them. 

 

“I can tell this heat has been rough on you,” Kara acknowledges as she touches Lena’s slippery pussy lips, parting them with a stroke of her thumb. “I’m going to take care of you. You’re so wet, but if this is your first time, I’m going to take it slow.” She plays with Lena’s pussy, finding her sensitive clit and stimulating it in a circular pattern. 

 

Lena groans and follows her urges to move her pelvis, pressing into Kara’s palm. “Is this your first time?” she whispers. 

 

Kara’s face drops and she shakes her head, a bit sheepish as she shares a secret. “No, this isn’t my first time,” she reveals. “I don’t think I’d make it through my ruts without relief, but I’m careful and I use protection. I also get tested and choose partners carefully so no one’s feelings get hurt. For them, it’s never about more than a release—”

 

Lena is so shocked she can’t respond and a tinge of sadness grips her heart. “I just assumed—” she chokes. 

 

“You assumed what most people would assume about me,” Kara concludes, her features softening as she holds Lena close and massages her pussy more thoroughly. “I’m more complex than I seem.” Her hand ventures away from Lena’s clit and lower to spread her open. They glance down at Lena’s body at the same time, at the peek of her vagina that they can both see when Kara’s fingers are placed on her lips to keep them apart. 

 

If nothing else, Kara’s experience shows in the delicate way she moves her hands. 

 

Lena’s at peace with this impulsive choice, and how her body reacts to Kara admiring her nakedness. 

 

“Have you ever thought about having sex with me?” Lena boldly asks.

 

“More than once,” Kara confesses with humility, ducking her blushing face against Lena’s cheek. “When we met, I’d never seen someone so beautiful, and the way you looked at me, how could I stop myself from fantasizing about you? I think I’ve always wanted you. I just never thought you’d want me back.”

 

Kara positions Lena with her legs draped over her own. Like this, Lena’s easier to hold and touch, fully on display to them both, with her hips opened up. 

 

“Can I put my fingers inside of you?” Kara murmurs against Lena’s earlobe, then drags her nose against the side of her neck and places a kiss over her pulse point. “Being with an alpha for the first time can hurt for an omega. I don’t want it to hurt.” 

 

“Have you hurt someone in the past?” Lena whispers nervously, and she’s more conscious of the girth and length of Kara’s cock against her lower back. It’s larger than she ever imagined and she wonders how her body will handle being entered when Kara at last slides into her. 

 

“Never,” Kara states with vehemence and rubs at Lena’s opening, which tightens timidly at even the barest attention from a single fingertip. “I’m going to prepare you for this, Lena. There are some alphas who might not care how betas or omegas feel, but I’m not one of them. Your pleasure is all that matters to me.”

 

“Your fingers first,” Lena agrees and then strains to open her legs even further, to the point that the tendons along the inside of her hips are visible.

 

Kara’s hand never leaves her smooth sex, which is darkening with arousal in the place where her lips meet. It’s tender when Kara slips a finger into her pussy and crooks it against a spot that makes Lena groan. 

 

“What are you doing,” Lena husks, her voice like thick syrup to the ear. “Oh, Kara, what are you doing to me?” Her eyes roll towards the ceiling and she instinctively rocks herself to take Kara’s finger. “Please, don’t stop."

 

Another joins it, and Lena can hear the noise of them pumping into her wetness. 

 

“You’re starting to relax for me, Lena,” Kara softly observes in delight. “This is just how it’s supposed to be. You’re doing so good, and you’re so sensitive inside.” 

 

Lena has never experienced anything so invigorating and calming at the same time. It satisfies her deeply when Kara stretches her out with two fingers. 

 

Kara separates the fingers inside and then sinks them in fully. There’s a slight twinge, and although Lena’s almost too distracted to notice, she believes Kara’s claimed her virginity. 

 

“Let me undress you now,” Kara requests and she helps Lena up, lifts her top off over her head and finishes taking off her skirt and panties. 

 

Lena stands and waits while Kara yanks down her own jeans, peels off her socks and throws off her sweater. 

 

Kara then backs Lena down against the bed and Lena’s smile broadens for a moment before she takes in the sight of Kara’s huge erection. 

 

There’s a risk of pregnancy without using protection and Lena can only hope her heat will come to an early end, or else she’s sure that she’s going to breed with Kara. 

 

Lena’s nipples are sore and stiff and they hurt in a pleasurable way when Kara cups her breasts.

 

Kara bites her bottom lip as she stares down at Lena’s chest. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Lena asks, noticing Kara’s hesitation and how worried she seems. 

 

“It’s just your heat,” Kara replies and nuzzles into Lena’s neck, brushing her lips over her jaw. “You’re especially fertile right now, Lena. It’s easy to tell that just by looking at you.”

 

Lena pouts her bottom lip subtly because she doesn’t want this to stop, not when she’s aching all over with need. “Are you afraid of what might happen?” she whispers. “I can take something to avoid getting pregnant. I don’t take anything regularly for that, but I have some pills on hand. I honestly never thought I’d use them, but one of my sorority sisters gave them to me as a precaution after I insisted on staying on campus.” 

 

Kara’s hands glide up her thighs and their magnetism is impossible to deny. She merely nods in approval of Lena’s back-up plan. 

 

“I can’t help but want it,” Lena gustily admits when Kara kneels between her legs. 

 

“To breed?” Kara murmurs against her lips, with a soulful gleam in her eyes that sends a tiny spasm of need through Lena. “Pretend we are. Pretend it’s your time for it—”

 

It’s far easier than it should be for Lena to dream up a scenario, in which they’ve graduated, found a home and chosen each other as mates. She’s so wrapped up in the fantasy that she forgets how forbidden this is—how this will be viewed as wrong if anyone finds out about it. 

 

Kara groans as their bodies meld together, her cock pushing in gradually until their pelvises meet. 

 

It’s a sweet relief and Lena feels herself stretch deliciously inside, her slick pussy full for the first time. Kara rocks with her and through her at a languid pace, and Lena's back arches. 

 

Lena’s surprised by how her slim, lower abdomen bulges every time Kara’s cock sticks in deep. If not for Kara’s preparations, Lena might not be able to stand the extreme size of it. 

 

As it stands, Lena’s pussy reddens as they quicken their movements, but it’s too good to stop even for a second. The fast, fluid motions of Kara’s cock leave Lena moaning and so aroused that she has no trouble taking it harder. 

 

“I haven’t ever been with an omega, and this is my first time doing this without a condom,” Kara confesses breathlessly with the heat of embarrassment in her face. “You feel amazing and I’m slightly delirious from it.” 

 

It’s sex with Lena that sets off a sudden rut, and it has such a fast onset for Kara that they are both overwhelmed and quiet. Kara seems ashamed at first, steadying herself as her hormones make her pulse hammer in her throat. 

 

Kara only grows bolder when Lena elegantly raises her legs and offers herself up. She holds Lena’s ankles and begins to roll her hips, jolting the bed frame with harder thrusts. 

 

“You should have come to me when this happened in the past,” Lena softly grunts, almost too softly to be heard over the slapping sounds of Kara rutting her. 

 

It makes her legs quake to know that this has occurred because of her—that Kara desires her so much that their vigorous mating resulted in this extreme response. 

 

It’s undeniable that they are being driven by their instincts now, and Kara’s possessed by an urge to empty seed into Lena’s womb. 

 

“Lena, if I came to you like this, then we never would have made it through last year,” Kara pants, her upper quads forcefully slamming into Lena as she admires her clenching pussy from above. “I want to breed you. I want that honor more than I can explain—“

 

Lena’s mesmerized by the concentration behind Kara’s relentless motions, the perfect rhythm that sends pleasure into her. It sinks inside, like a thousand silver coins that tingle and plink and find their way down to the deepest part of her that wants to fulfill every one of Kara’s wishes. “What if you do,” Lena suggests. “What if I let you?” 

 

Kara’s not one to slow over this sudden proposition and she’s tireless, her cock ready to knot in Lena, but not before Lena’s totally spent. “Your future depends on us not exploring those hypotheticals,” Kara reasons. “But I selfishly want it anyway.” 

 

“Take it, take me,” Lena presses and then she’s gripped by a spasm internally that makes a sweat break across her forehead. She bucks her hips from the orgasm, the unexpected sensation both confusing her and stealing her breath. “You could take me away in a few months,” she points out. “When we finish our education, we can go anywhere.”

 

Kara’s nodding, promising Lena with her big baby blue eyes, and Lena comes again around her cock until satisfaction spreads through her pussy and all through her belly. 

 

It’s difficult for Lena, enduring the emotions that surge through her when Kara pumps hot seed into her body and at last knots. The thick spurts would overflow from her pussy, if not for the base of Kara’s cock, which expands so much that it lodges against the most sensitive spot inside of Lena.

 

Lena’s pussy quivers, drawing out Kara’s pleasure and keeping the swelling strong. 

 

“I won’t be able to slip out,” Kara mutters. “Not for quite a while. Could be longer than usual.” 

 

Knotting has a primal exhilaration to it, and Kara holds her for as long as it lasts, well into the night and morning.

 

“This is the longest it’s ever taken,” Kara whispers, an hour later when she’s still burrowed inside of Lena. “I’m sorry. If I had known it was going to be like this, I would have given you more warning.”

 

“You don’t have to apologize,” Lena insists and finds comfort in Kara’s prolonged presence. She drifts off to sleep while Kara plays with her dark hair, and awakens only when she’s aware their bodies are no longer united.

 

Drowsily opening her eyes, Lena watches Kara pull on her jeans and shoes. “You’re leaving without saying goodbye?” she pouts, with such heartbreak in her voice that Kara turns and nearly falls over herself to get to Lena.

 

“Oh no, I wasn’t leaving,” Kara whispers and slips her hand over Lena’s as she bends by the bed. “We—had sex last night, Lena. My scent will be all over you. I need to go back to my room. I have a cologne to cover up what we did.” 

 

“I don’t want you to go,” Lena sighs, and yet reluctantly waves her off. “Be quick about it, okay?” She’s unprepared for the feelings of loneliness and fear she experiences when Kara scurries out the window.

 

Kara doesn’t stay away long, and returns with a bowl of fresh fruit, containers of porridge and the promised cologne. “You need to eat,” Kara explains and lays the food out on Lena’s desk. 

 

Lena’s scents have changed after sex, but the cologne covers it when she sprays herself experimentally. She sinks into the chair at the desk and picks at the fruit, only because Kara is adamant. 

 

“We should talk about all of this,” Kara nervously tells her and wipes sweaty hands down the front of her jeans. “Are you going to take your pill this morning?” 

 

Lena has almost forgotten about it and yet she pulls back her desk drawer, finds the pills, and takes one with a gulp of water. 

 

Kara goes quiet, her brows knitted together in what looks like dismay. “You’re still mine,” she asserts suddenly. 

 

Lena’s stunned by this level of possessiveness and then Kara bends in front of her on one knee. 

 

“Be mine?” Kara asks with a scrunch of her nose and Lena knows with any other alpha she might not get this courtesy. 

 

Mating was enough to give an alpha a future claim whenever ruts should heighten their need. 

 

“I am yours,” Lena says with a full smile, flashing white teeth at Kara. “Even if we have to keep what we’ve done a secret. It won’t be easy, but if we succeed, we can elope together after we finish our education.” 

 

It’s not the easiest path they could take in life, and yet if her brother Lex dictates her future, Lena expects it will be much harder. 

 

Kara’s hands rest against Lena’s bare thighs and she nods in agreement. “I’ll protect you, Lena,” she states. “I’ll come back here tonight after my classes, if you’re alright with that. I’ve heard that omegas feel better when their alphas are at their sides--”

 

“It would make me feel better, especially because my heat isn’t over yet, and your rut has only just begun,” Lena clarifies. “Can you—“

 

“I’ll come prepared to take care of you, Lena, with condoms this time,” Kara says with a smile curving her lips and a squeeze of Lena’s hand.

 

They both shower in Lena’s private bathroom, separately because they have class soon, and then they leave the sorority house together. Kara exits through the window and Lena hurries down to meet up with her, to walk together until they reach their different classrooms. 

 

“I’ll wait for you after our morning classes,” Kara offers and they both want to touch. It’s clear from how they crane towards one another. 

 

“Please, I would like that,” Lena replies and inconspicuously passes off a piece of fabric she’s been holding onto that morning. It’s a scarf she wears, sprayed with a light mist of Kara’s cover-up perfume, but it’s still possible to smell Lena on it. 

 

Lena departs with her books cradled against her, oblivious to how she draws the heated stares of alphas. 

 

Kara notices their strange energy and reacts to it, straightening up and watching Lena all the way to the door of her classroom. 

 

It’s unusual for alphas to be aggressive after an omega’s been mated, but for as long as Lena can recall, she’s never been a typical omega. Her sex appeal is powerful and the tight black dress she’s worn for Kara grabs everyone’s attention, including the instructor’s, much to her concern. 

 

This instructor has always liked to her, though his mood has shifted during Lena’s protest of institutional rules. She still participates in the class as usual, despite how her classmates leer at her. 

 

After the class, Lena makes a rushed exit and emerges from the building to spot Kara sitting on a towel in the grass with Alex, her sister.

 

Alex opens her mouth to speak and she’s so forceful about it that her auburn hair moves, shaken out along with several accusations. “You seem totally different today and that’s Lena’s scarf you have in your pocket. I’m not blind,” she hisses at Kara before Lena’s within earshot.

 

All Lena overhears is Alex’s stunned question: “-- you slept with Lena Luthor?”

 

Lena pauses in her tracks and her smile drops away in an instant, as she feels someone nudge into her. James stares at her and a frown forms on his lips that reveals he’s overheard Alex too. 

 

He’s a friend of Lena’s, an alpha who she’s certain will be on her brother’s list, not because Lex likes James, but because James has influence through his family and their connection to the newspapers. 

 

It’s too late to deny it and yet Lena laughs anyway in the most mocking pitch she can muster. “Kara is _just_ a friend,” she insists loudly and turns her glare on Kara. 

 

It hurts that their secret has been spoken aloud, that Kara hadn’t been more careful with the scarf, and Lena spins around to run away. 

 

She’s been an idiot to be seen doe-eyed with Kara in public, and once she admits that to herself, she lets so many more self-criticisms in. 

 

The flood of shame is too much to bear and Lena begins to cry as soon as she’s far enough away. She cries into her hand and stands with her back to a tree, sniffling and unable to get ahold of herself. 

 

It’s an opportune moment for James to follow her and then John notices her too. 

 

The two of them don’t like each other and it’s just Lena’s vulnerability that draws them closer together. 

 

“She alright?” John asks, accusing James with his eyes as he stands over Lena, giving her only a cursory glance in case she speaks up first.

 

“I think she’s upset because of the rumors being spread about her,” James responds, hooking his thumb into his jeans as he casually gives his opinion of the situation. 

 

Lena’s struck by how James has said rumors, _plural_ —and how John shrugs, then peers down at her without compassion. 

 

“She brought it on herself,” John argues with a teasing smirk on his lips. “She shouldn’t be here right now, you know? Whoever ends up with her is going to have _a lot_ to do to defend her honor. Lex is right to find her an alpha now before she ruins her own reputation, right along with the Luthor family name, once and for all. I’ve heard plenty of people calling her a slut these past few weeks—“

 

Lena breaks away from both of the young men and runs, dropping a book somewhere on the gravel path and not even stopping to grab it. 

 

She shuts herself back in her bedroom and locks the window, refusing to open it when she hears tiny rocks and twigs hitting the glass. 

 

Kara must be out there, but Lena’s chest heaves from the pain of being viewed as a slut, as someone who can only do _wrong,_ when she’s done nothing but strive to be better in everyone’s eyes. 

 

It’s Kara’s reputation on the line too and that’s ultimately why Lena doesn’t open the window. 

 

She curls up and cries, and finally the tears dry down her neck as she falls asleep, still exhausted from the night before. 

 

And when she awakens, it’s to a terrible surprise she least expects...


	2. Chapter 2

Lex stands at the end of her bed, wearing a business suit and an expensive watch that he twists on his wrist. 

 

“How did you get in?” Lena asks suspiciously, and Lex tosses her an extra key from his pocket.

 

“Skipping class and napping in the middle of the afternoon?” Lex hums with a critical glance at Lena, narrowing one eye at her as he takes a seat in her desk chair. “Care to explain this out of character behavior?”

 

“I needed to isolate myself,” Lena lies, falling back on the one excuse she has to shut herself away and skip the classes she _wants_ to attend. 

 

“I’m glad you’ve reached that conclusion all on your own,” Lex replies, and begins to rifle through the contents of her desk. “It makes this so much easier.” 

 

It seems like he’s been methodically going through all of her belongings while she’s been asleep. He finds the birth control pills with no trouble at all, and notices that one has been punched out and used. 

 

Lena feels her heart stop and head spin as she waits for Lex’s tirade. 

 

“I’ve come to take you home,” Lex discloses as he slips the pills into his jacket, tucking them out of sight in a way that fills Lena with unease. He stops rummaging through her stuff now that he’s found a reason to punish her. 

 

“I don’t want to go home,” Lena protests, but there’s no hope of convincing him that she deserves to stay, not after what he’s found. 

 

“Too bad. I’ve brought some help with me to gather your things,” Lex remarks, keeping his voice neutral in spite of how his jaw sets in disapproval. “I’ll give you a few minutes of privacy to get ready and put some make-up on. I wouldn’t want anyone thinking I’ve caused those tear tracks on your face.” 

 

Lena has little choice but to obey and she meets him downstairs with a suitcase. She gets to say a few goodbyes to her sorority friends and she immediately searches the tree next to her window when she steps outside. 

 

Kara’s still up in the branches. Lena’s eyes solemnly convey an apology as Lex stands behind her with a hand on the small of her back. He pushes Lena into a car that awaits them—a stretch limousine that smells of scotch whisky. 

 

She bravely rolls down the window for a last glimpse of Kara, if only because Lex is distracted with a bottle, filling his glass as they begin to drive away. 

 

“So who is this alpha that has taken advantage of you,” Lex asks, and his tone is strikingly calm, menacing even in its restraint. “Who convinced you to spread your legs, Lena? And provided you with these pills as an excuse to use you unprotected?” 

 

“No one,” Lena weakly tries, folding her hands in her lap in the hopes of being more pleasing to Lex. “I found them in the bathroom and a friend asked me to borrow one. She has a boyfriend.”

 

Lex snorts at the lie, and it angers him enough that he puts his hand on her thigh. He reminds her that he has an iron grip by squeezing hard, as if she could ever forget. “If you’re going to behave like every other omega I’ve ever known, I should just let alphas use you on my terms,” he remarks. “How much do you think you’re worth, Lena?”

 

Lena squares her jaw at that, not wanting to give him the satisfaction by becoming emotional. “I swear to you, I haven’t taken anyone into my bed,” she snaps. 

 

Sitting back against the leather seat, Lex considers her for a moment in silence. “You will soon,” he assures her. “You clearly need it and you’re my responsibility.“

 

“I don’t need it!” Lena practically shrieks, indignant and frustrated in her own helplessness. “I’m not ready for that, Lex—“

 

“You are ready because I’ve said you’re ready,” Lex corrects, and takes a sip of his whisky as he glares at her with condescending and dull eyes. “There’s just the small matter of deciding the right match.” 

 

Lena wants Kara, and to sob at the injustice of this, but she keeps a blank face and her mouth shut. It will be easier when they get home and she can hide away in her bedroom, but for now she can endure Lex’s angry silence. He drains the rest of his glass and sets it aside. 

 

It’s like this every day over the next few weeks that Lena spends at home, with Lex unbearable and morose when he gives her lectures.

 

It’s all for the purpose of getting a confession out of Lena, and because Lex watches her every move, she can’t even text Kara. 

 

Lena’s distracted enough by it that she doesn’t even realize she’s skipped a period at what should be the tail end of her heat. 

 

All of her thoughts are of Kara, who must assume Lena regrets what they did. 

 

The fact that Kara must still be rutting crosses her mind every day, and Lena tries to soothe herself in bed at night. 

 

She pretends Kara’s fingers are gliding over her clit, and while it’s not enough to truly satisfy, it makes her pain ebb just the tiniest bit. 

 

It’s warm in her bedroom, and afterwards Lena decides to stand on her balcony to get some air. Just as she’s tying up her hair in a bun, she hears a quiet swish behind her. 

 

"Lena?" Supergirl whispers, striding quietly towards her with a perplexed frown etched across her forehead. "Are you okay? I was—uh, asked to come and check on you. It’s been a few weeks. Your friends are worried."

 

Lena gapes at her unexpected guest and then a weak smile forms on her lips. “You mean Kara?” she asks and her belly flutters with happiness. “Please tell her I’m fine and that I’m sorry.” 

 

Supergirl has been an acquaintance of Lena’s these past few years, and although they’re not exactly close, they have established a bond of trust. Lena has helped Supergirl with information about her family’s illegal connections and operations, and in turn Supergirl’s saved her from a few unpleasant situations.

 

Lena expects to go back inside, and starts off in that direction until she realizes Supergirl has stepped forward like she wants the conversation to continue. “Did you want to come in?” Lena adds a bit wonderingly. 

 

"Kara wanted me to tell you she's sorry too." Supergirl states. She nods to the invite as she follows after Lena. 

 

Lena’s shoulders stiffen and she lowers herself into an armchair while she dwells on Supergirl’s words. 

 

“You know, you don’t have to stay here,” Supergirl stresses. “I can take you back to your dorm.”

 

“My heat doesn’t seem to be over and I can’t leave until it ends,” Lena replies. 

 

If she explains that Lex is the only reason behind it, she suspects that Supergirl will insist they go anyway. It’s simpler just to be vague. 

 

Lena reaches for a pack of salted crackers that’s sitting on her night table. As her fingers graze the plastic, she flinches and recalls the date: she should be able to return to school by now, because her heat should have ended. 

 

With a false smile on her face, Lena lifts her day planner and realizes her period is definitely late. Either she’s pregnant or something has happened to extend her heat for an impossibly long duration. 

 

“Did Kara perhaps mention why she was sorry?” Lena asks with a note of genuine fright in her voice. She’s trying to keep the conversation going, although her mind is elsewhere. 

 

“Oh she…” Supergirl swallows thickly, and all but tumbles over her words as she explains, “She said she was sorry about what happened with her sister, and that you haven’t been responding to her texts. She cares about you, Lena. It’s why I’m here.”

 

“The truth is I couldn’t respond to her,” Lena admits and then pulls a sheet of paper from her day planner. She scrawls a quick note to Kara to explain her absence, although she leaves out the most important detail. “Lex is monitoring my every move. He thinks someone’s been inappropriate with me. He’s determined to find out who it is, and I don’t want Kara to get mixed up in any of this. Can you please deliver this note to her? ” 

 

“Yes, of course, I’ll make sure she gets it tonight.” There’s a softness to Supergirl’s voice as she takes the note, and concern in her eyes as she assesses Lena more intently. “You’re sure you’re okay? I can’t help you with anything else?”

 

Lena wets her bottom lip and shakes her head. “No, there’s nothing,” she lies. 

 

Nausea swills around in her stomach and she moves to sit on the bed. She rubs a kink in her neck and attempts to deepen her breathing. 

 

“Can I help you with anything?” Lena asks. “You seem troubled tonight.”

 

“Me?” Supergirl forces out a short laugh with a smile that doesn’t fully reach her eyes. She shakes her head and after an awkward moment of flailing, places her hands on her hips. “No I’m—I’m good. Great actually. Relieved, you know—to know you’re okay.” She clears her throat and licks her bottom lip, already stepping backwards to leave. “I should—” She holds the slip of paper up. “I should take this to Kara now. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you when you get back.”

 

“I’ll be happy to see her, too.” Lena sighs wearily, if only because she knows she’s going to have to fight Lex to return to school. “Please tell her I should be back in the next few days.”

 

Supergirl nods and then takes her leave via the balcony. “Have a good night, Lena,” she says. 

 

Lena won’t have an easy time convincing Lex that she’s ready to return, but she has to try. 

 

She waits until Supergirl’s disappeared and then stands up to push her night table onto its side. 

 

There’s a plank of wood that she removes and she grabs for a bottle of scent suppressants tucked away inside the furniture. The suppressants can have very risky side effects, but one tablet won’t do her harm. 

 

Lena swallows down the tablet without water, hoping it will last long enough to convince Lex she can go back to school. 

 

 

It’s a humiliating ordeal to be escorted back to campus two days later. Lena arrives with the expectation that this will be a quick drop off, but Lex lingers and takes note of the friends that are waiting to welcome Lena back.

 

Kara wisely chooses to approach with Alex and they both pull Lena into a tight hug. As smart as this move is, Lex’s stare burns into Kara as she holds on longer than necessary. 

 

“Who are they?” Lex sniffs in disgust, with no respect for anyone he’s unable to recognize. He seems most interested in Kara, as if he knows her identity but can’t quite piece together where they’ve met. 

 

“Some of my best friends,” Lena replies, still sandwiched between Alex and Kara, and not willing to budge or give him more explanation than that. “I hope you have a nice trip home.” 

 

“I’ll be back to collect you for the holidays in two months,” Lex announces and pulls Lena into an obligatory embrace. “Be on your best behavior. I needn’t remind you of what awaits you at home if you choose disobedience again.” 

 

Lena drops her gaze to her feet as both Kara and Alex listen in on the threat. She could dwell on it, but Kara’s looping an arm around her shoulder again and it’s easier to just walk away. Realizing that they are headed towards the dining hall, Lena belatedly asks, “Is everyone hungry?”

 

“I could eat.” Kara eagerly states, and not so subtly nudges her sister, prompting her to agree.

 

“Sure let’s grab breakfast...” Alex states, letting Kara and Lena lead the way before she mutters under her breath, ” _Again._ ”

 

The dining hall is busy, but filled with students who are barely awake enough to see what they’re shoveling into their faces. Still, the sight of Lena causes a soft murmur to ripple amongst them. Kara pretends not to hear it and grabs a tray for everyone. 

“I’m glad you’re back.” Kara whispers, smiling bashfully at Lena. “I missed you.”

 

Behind them, Alex snorts softly, and when Kara turns to give her a _look_ she shrugs helplessly. “She pined.” Alex clarifies quietly, careful not to be overheard. “The entire time.”

 

Kara shoves her then, and Alex gets the hint and shuts her mouth.

 

Lena’s lips part in a broad grin over Alex’s teasing. “I missed you, too, Kara,” she emphasizes, then grows self-conscious as other students hover behind her, listening in. “Almost as much as I missed the school waffles,” she adds. 

 

She places a waffle on her plate and drizzles syrup everywhere, so much that she has to lick it off her finger. 

 

It’s not strange when she puts bacon on top of the waffle, but the idea of more salt appeals to her. She’s craving Asian food, with soy sauce and hot mustard — all of Kara’s favorites. 

 

Lena dumps salt on top of the bacon and adds a heap of eggs, which she covers with both ketchup and mustard. She mindlessly grabs at different foods and adds them to her tray. 

 

There’s a mountain of options in front of her when she finally sits down at a table opposite Kara. “So what did you do while I was away?” she asks casually, although there’s a small implication behind her words. 

 

Lena wonders if anyone’s been keeping Kara company in her absence. 

 

“Studied I guess. I wasn’t interested in doing anything else.” Kara’s eyes narrow as she speaks, her head tipping to the side as she sees the mishmash of food on Lena’s tray. Her own is overflowing with waffles, bacon and eggs, and enough syrup to drown the plate beneath it all. “What did —” She falters in her distraction.

 

“Kara barely left her room after classes.” Alex says, as she sits down with a cup of steaming coffee and a bowl of fruit that she seems to have no interest in eating.

 

Kara rolls her eyes and inhales half a waffle in two bites. “Well, I had things on my mind. What did you do while you were home?”

 

Lena picks at the food on her plate, finding it much less appetizing after her first few mouthfuls. “Oh, the usual stuff,” she replies with a tiny scrunch of her nose. “I did a lot of assignments, spent hours in front of the television, continued my research. I even worked on a little bit of code just for fun.” She freezes up and glances around her to ensure no one’s lurking nearby. “I also realized — “

 

“That you had almost missed your first sorority ball of the year, and disappointed every one of your sisters?” Beth chimes in, sliding into the vacant spot beside Lena. 

 

Lena hadn’t checked a blind-spot where Beth must have been lurking and leaning over her. 

 

“We worked so hard to meticulously plan out this party,” Beth complains. “I don’t suppose you’ve had time to find a dress, or a date, have you?” 

 

“Beth, hi,” Lena politely replies and holds in a sigh over how she’s been interrupted. “I didn’t think I would be back in time for the party, so I didn’t prepare.”

 

“Oh good, then my efforts haven’t gone to waste. I found you both a dress and a date,” Beth reports, showing undisguised repulsion when she glances at Lena’s breakfast. “You’re gone for four weeks, and you’ve decided to let yourself go?” 

 

Alex clears her throat loudly, and tries to get Kara’s attention, but her sister is frowning at Beth. She sees Kara’s mouth open, and quickly stands. “I better get going. Kara, don’t you have class too?”

 

“Wait. That wasn’t very nice.” Kara blurts, unable to stop herself.

 

Alex groans in defeat, and slaps her hand on Kara’s shoulder a little roughly. “Kara, let’s go, we don’t want to be late…” She insists.

 

“I haven’t finished eating yet.” Kara stubbornly states, as she stuffs a slice of bacon in her mouth. “Besides, I want to hear about this ball.”

 

Lena’s jaw tightens subtly as she stares Beth down. 

 

This isn’t how Lena has been hoping her reunion with Kara would go, and she’s absolutely not interested in indulging Beth’s attempt to control her social life. It’s more than enough that Lex tries to do that. 

 

Beth’s attention has fully shifted to Kara, and she smirks in a devious and curious way. “Why?” she lilts. “Were you planning to escort Lena yourself?” 

 

“She might,” Lena pipes up and raises an eyebrow challengingly at Beth. “I’d enjoy her company more than anyone you’ve picked out for me.”

 

“That would certainly fan the flames of gossip,” Beth chuckles. 

 

“Oh, it would be like pouring gasoline on a bonfire, but I don’t care,” Lena retorts with a little smile, then rolls her eyes towards Kara. “There’s nothing going on between the two of us.” 

 

Kara nods emphatically in agreement as she catches Beth’s gaze. “I guess when you’re so busy judging everyone, you forget what _actual_ friendship looks like. That’s kinda sad.”

 

Alex stifles laughter behind her cup of coffee and manages to swallow it back. “Kara, be nice. It must be hard, being just another beta in that sorority.” She says offhandedly, watching the way Beth’s face reddens. “It can’t be easy feeling constantly overlooked.”

 

Beth makes a noise from the back of throat as if insulted and then storms off. 

 

Lena laughs when she’s gone and then stands up. “The ball is next week,” she tells Kara. “Alex, you’re welcome to come too. The event is usually packed with desperate betas and the most obnoxious alphas. But it’s an important yearly event to promote our chosen charity.”

 

“You just _had_ to point out that it’s for charity,” Alex sighs, even though they all know that she would attend for charitable reasons anyway. She’s always supportive of Kara and more recently, she’s also been there for Lena. 

 

Lena’s grinning until she feels a splash of bile rise in her throat and warn that she’s going to wretch. 

 

“Oh, I’m going to be late for Spanish!” Lena says, glancing at the time on her watch. “I’ll see you both at the library later?” 

 

Gathering up her books, Lena speeds away towards the bathrooms without sparing so much as a glance backwards. 

 

For the rest of her morning classes, Lena feels queasy and green. She finds she can control her nausea if she sits perfectly upright, breathes through her nose and chews on mints or crackers. 

 

It requires her to break the rules about eating in class, so she’s forced to sit in the back. 

 

Even by the afternoon Lena’s symptoms don’t lift, yet the thought of seeing Kara cheers her up. The color has restored to her face when it’s time to head to the library.

 

As often is the case, Lena arrives first and walks over to claim a table for herself. 

 

Before she sits down, she notices James alone and opportunistically chooses to take the seat across from him.

 

Broadening her social circle is part of Lena’s plan to deflect everyone’s attention from Kara. 

 

“Lena,” James smiles curiously, his brown eyes gleaming in excitement as he tugs at his tie. “You’re finally back? It’s hard to tell if your heat has ended. I guess you’re just this alluring all of the time.” 

 

“I’m flattered,” Lena replies and manages to smile in a way that she rarely smiles at anyone other than Kara. “I thought we should get to know each other better, James.” 

 

It’s not what she truly wants, but if Lena associates with plenty of other alphas, it won’t be seen as suspicious when she’s in Kara’s company. 

 

“I’ve been told you’re on the short list of suitors that my brother has chosen for me,” Lena adds, and then leans in to get a glimpse of the title of the book James is reading. “Foucault? How ironic and yet also very fitting.”

 

“Why is it ironic?” James asks densely. She notes that he hasn’t gotten far in the book and that there’s a basketball magazine nearby. 

 

“Nevermind,” Lena sniffs and lounges back against her chair. She obviously won’t be able to talk to him about intellectual subjects, at least not about imbalances of power. “Are you attending the Omega Chi Beta charity ball?”

 

“Of course,” James says with a smug smirk. “Were you looking for someone to take you?”

 

“I’m not interested in going with anyone except friends,” Lena announces with a glimmer of hate in her eyes that she knows James won’t recognize. “It would be in poor taste to lead anyone on, considering that I’m spoken for already.” 

 

“That is true,” James confidently agrees, as if he’s been selected. “Smart move on your part to go with friends.” 

 

“The _smartest,_ ” Lena insists, pleased with herself and how easily she’s able to play him. “But I’d be happy to dance with you at the party if you’re there.”

 

Kara spots Lena as she bounds into the library, filled with enthusiasm that isn’t as present in Alex. 

 

The smile freezes on Kara’s lips as she sees James, and Alex almost walks into her back.

 

“Hey,” Kara says brightly, finally finding her feet again as she saunters towards the table. “I didn’t know James was studying with us.” 

 

Kara’s looking at Lena as she says it, but James doesn’t seem to notice as he corrects her with a smug grin. “Oh it wasn’t planned, Lena sat with me,” James announces. “We’re talking about the ball.”

 

“You are?” Kara smiles harder, until her cheeks ache and she forces herself to laugh. “That’s… really great.” She insists and sinks down into the chair beside James.

 

Alex takes the seat beside Lena and eyes James curiously, “I never took you as the type to go to those things.” She cocks her head to the side and hums low in her throat, piecing two and two together. “Are you taking Lucy?” She enquires slyly, watching as Kara shares a look with Lena. “You’ve been dating for the past two years, right?”

 

“We have been, yeah.” James tucks his chin into his chest almost defensively as he tries to downplay the importance of his relationship of two years. “But it’s a pretty casual and I think Lucy plans to see other people eventually. We’re really not that committed to each other.”

 

Lena licks at her lower lip and then bites down on it in open flirtation. “Casual relationships are so much better at this age,” she states and opens up her laptop. “There are plenty of people that just want to have sex, but when I finally experience that, I want it to mean something.” 

 

“I really can’t believe you haven’t locked down an alpha by now,” James remarks and shoves his book aside, determined to socialize rather than work. “But I’m sure that whoever ends up with you will enjoy having you all to _himself._ ” 

 

Kara tenses in her seat, her nostrils flaring as she seems to hold back a catty remark. 

 

“You missed a lot of lectures when you weren’t here.” Kara finally says, flicking her gaze towards Lena as she thumbs open her notebook. “So we’d better get started on catching you up.”

 

James smiles lazily and spreads his hands out on the table in offering. “You can borrow my notes.”

 

Kara gives him a peculiar look and then points out the obvious. “You don’t have any classes with her.”

 

“I just meant—” James begins. 

 

Kara cuts him off with a fast, “You can definitely borrow my notes.” She blushes at how eager she sounds, and pushes her folder towards Lena with a bright smile. “They’re all in there.”

 

Lena pulls the folder closer and opens it up to retrieve the pages of notes. She squints at some of the illegible words and then shuts the folder. “I do appreciate the help but I can’t read your handwriting,” she replies as delicately as possible. “It’s fine. I downloaded the professors’ presentation slides anyway.” 

 

For the rest of her study time in the library, Lena attempts to keep her attention on a paper she’s writing.

 

Lena has given James more than enough of her time, but he continues to stare at her dopily while Kara continues to glare at him. 

 

The tension between James and Kara is too much of a distraction, one which only ends when Lena stands up and gestures towards the stacks. “I need to go find a book. I’ll be right back,” she promises. 

 

Alex keeps her head down, but her eyes stray over to Kara and James every so often as she reads quietly, and it’s clear she notices the mounting irritation.

 

James absently taps his pen against his magazine as he waits for Lena to return, and he smiles at any girl that walks by as if he knows them all.

 

It doesn’t take long for Kara to snap, and she politely clears her throat and whispers, “Can you maybe not do that?” She waves a hand towards her work and adds, “I’m trying to concentrate.”

 

“What?” James asks, tapping his pen faster out of spite. “Oh this? It helps me focus.”

 

“You aren’t reading anything.” Kara asserts smartly, straightening in her chair with a huff of breath that doesn’t quite hide her annoyance.

 

From a distance, Lena observes the terrible and cloistering atmosphere that she’s created and then rushes off into the rows of books. She takes a detour to the bathroom to splash cool water against her wrists. 

 

The scent suppressants are at last wearing off, and when she returns to the table, Lena realizes just how much the other students are staring at her. 

 

Her pheromones are stronger than ever as she closes up her laptop, and shoves her books away into her bag. “I think I’m going to call it an afternoon,” Lena announces. “I still haven’t unpacked yet.” 

 

Alex stifles laughter as both Kara and James stumble over themselves.

 

“I can carry your books.” James hurriedly offers, standing up with an expectant look on his face.

 

Kara rushes to her feet, and all but traps James with her chair. “Why don’t I—uh—we—” She kicks Alex under the table for back up. “Walk you back to your dorm?”

 

“How about James walks me to the cafeteria?” Alex suggests offhandedly. “I have a lot more work to do and I’m dangerously low on caffeine, plus it’s getting late and I’d prefer a chaperone with muscle.”

 

It’s a bullshit excuse and they all know it, but the ego-stroking looks like it might work on James.

 

Lena attempts to look sympathetic towards Alex, and even goes so far as to touch her back. “I’d go with you, but I am truly exhausted,” she lies. 

 

That little gesture seems to decide the matter for James, and he chivalrously offers to accompany Alex. He’s just doing it for Lena, and she’s never been more grateful for a favor when he and Alex disappear through the doors of the library.

 

“You’ll have to thank your sister for me.” Lena turns towards Kara, who has taken it upon herself to carry all of the books and bags. 

 

“My heat seems to be lingering on,” Lena mentions. “I don’t know if you had noticed—"

 

“Oh I noticed. We all noticed.” Kara softly states, pushing through the library doors with a perplexed squint. “I’m surprised James left your side. I thought he was about to leap over the desk.” 

 

It’s meant to be funny but Kara forgets to smile as jealousy takes over. “Do you think it’s because we--” She catches sight of other students, and her head swings back towards Lena as she finishes, “studied so hard?” 

 

Nobody around them seems to care about their conversation, and Kara heaves out a sigh of relief.

 

“I don’t think we studied _hard_ enough,” Lena replies, and from her straight face, it’s impossible to tell if she’s talking about sex or what they accomplished in the library today. 

 

They make it halfway across campus before Kara notices the way eyes linger on Lena, more intent than before. People stop mid-sentence as they catch wind of her heat, and some even turn to watch her walk by, filled with hunger. “Let’s walk faster.” Kara suggests, leading Lena down the path towards her sorority house.

 

“I am walking fast, and you’ve hardly spoken to me since we left the library,” Lena complains. 

 

“So, were you implying that I’m such a nerd that research is what gets me hot and bothered?” Lena asks with a dead pan expression that makes it seem like she’s serious. She places a hand on her hip and waits for an answer before she’ll take even one more step down the path. 

 

“What? No, I—” Kara fumbles, a blush heating her cheeks as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Everyone within walking distance is staring, but not at her, and she’s acutely aware of how Lena’s heat is affecting everyone around them. “I mean, yes, maybe?” Kara laughs nervously. “You are pretty intense when it comes to research, so… it’s possible.”

 

“Well, I did just finish my research paper,” Lena says with a coy shake of her head, aware of the few other students that are close enough to eavesdrop. “It’s really a shame I don’t have an alpha to satisfy my needs.” 

 

Teasing Kara serves a twofold purpose: to not only flirt, but also to stop the rumors. She takes her books and bag back from Kara and leans in to hug her. “Come to my bedroom,” she mutters too softly to be overheard and then turns to leave. 

 

Pushing her way around others, Lena pretends not to hear anyone call out to her and retreats to her room. 

 

Flinging her books aside, she rushes to open the window and begins unzipping the back of her dress. 

 

Kara swings her legs into Lena’s room moments later, hastily toeing her shoes off as she closes the window and curtains behind her. She rushes to Lena’s side, her strong hands slipping the dress down her smooth shoulders until it puddles on the floor around their feet. 

 

“When you went home, I thought you hated me,” Kara confesses against Lena’s warm skin, her lips whispering desires over Lena’s neck. “I looked for you every day.” 

 

“Did you think of me while you were gone? I thought of you.” Kara husks, running her hands down Lena’s sides. She clasps her hips, pulling Lena back against her while she kisses along her jaw, nipping playfully.

 

Lena’s hands fall on top of Kara’s and urge them lower and onto her ass. Her long ponytail drapes onto Kara’s shoulders as she nuzzles in, finding a sensitive spot at the center of the neck. She licks and latches on with an almost feral kiss, fluttering her tongue as she bites down and marks Kara. “Yes, I thought of you,” Lena confirms. “I thought of this and how I need so much more.” 

 

It’s a little evasive, the way Lena suddenly blinks and avoids eye contact. 

 

Now that they’re alone, she should tell Kara all about her nausea and what it might mean, and yet she hesitates. 

 

“Stay the night?” Lena requests and positions herself on top of Kara’s knee as they both sit at the desk. She unhooks her bra and lets it drop away, paying no attention to where it lands. 

 

Kara smiles, her eyes bright and shining as she nods enthusiastically. “Yes, absolutely, I’m not going anywhere. I mean, I want to stay--” She rambles on, pulling Lena in for a kiss that’s both sweet and heated. Her hands dance over Lena’s hips then upwards to cup her breasts. Kara palms them worshipfully, teasing Lena’s stiff nipples with her thumbs until they move apart.

 

Lena works open the belt on Kara’s pants and stands up to drag them down her thighs. “No one can know we’re together, but at night you’re all mine,” she lilts with an infectious and dimpled smile. “You can keep a secret, right?” Her eyes drift to the spot in Kara’s tight Calvin Kleins where her cock strains to be free. 

 

Kara stands with her hands on her hips in a pose that seems somehow familiar and powerful. “I can definitely keep a secret,” she states and scrunches her eyebrows, almost perplexed by Lena’s question.

 

Lena folds her arms over her chest and nibbles her bottom lip. “Well, Alex knows the truth about us now,” she emphasizes. “But I trust you won’t tell her any details, least of all about the filthy things I’m going to let you do to me tonight—”

 

Kara pretends to zip her lips and lets her gaze trickle down Lena, taking her all in. “Filthy things…” She repeats, as if sex is suddenly the only thought left in her head. 

 

“What do you have in mind?” Kara teases, her eyebrow quirking expectantly.

 

“Well, you’re the one with all the experience,” Lena remarks and settles down on the end of the bed with a resolute air about her. 

 

Kara tips her head and her lips part in surprise as she wonders, “Wait, are you jealous?”

 

“Why would I be jealous?” Lena asks, but there’s a glimmer of anger in her eyes and she realizes she sounds more than a little passive aggressive. “Maybe I am the slightest bit curious about your previous partners. Have I met any of them?”

 

There’s a deepening crease on Kara’s forehead as she speaks, “Lena…” She sighs, her tone gentle. “I don’t think knowing who they are is going to make you feel better.”

 

It’s not fair to interrogate Kara this way, but Lena feels justified in her choices if only for the single reason she isn’t ready to share yet. 

 

She self-consciously places a hand on her flat stomach and rubs in a comforting circle. 

 

It bothers her that Kara could choose to have a sexual relationship with someone else because they haven’t strongly committed to one another — at least not in the ways that would make Lena feel more secure. 

 

Still, it’s too much of a risk to fully confide in Kara, too much of a burden to put on her when Lex would be all too willing to retaliate against the person who not only sullied Lena’s reputation, but also impregnated her. If Lex finds out what she and Kara have done, he will try to ruin Kara’s life. 

 

There’s another fear that’s been gnawing at Lena for days, that Kara will change her mind when she finds out. Kara might withdraw and choose a different mating partner. 

 

There are too many possibilities to entertain, and most of them end with a situation where Lena is disgraced, alone and frightened. 

 

Lena’s eyes fill with tears and she blames her out of control hormones for it. “I’m not jealous,” she insists. “It’s just that before I left, you asked me to be yours. I want to be yours, Kara. All of my life I’ve had so many dreams I’ve been working towards, but because I’m an omega, everyone has always told me I’m never going to achieve much. I don’t have control over how anyone else sees me—"

 

“Don’t listen to them.” Kara moves swiftly, kneeling before Lena to clasp her hands as she attempts to soothe her. “Lena you’re the best student this university has ever had and you can do anything you want. If anyone ever tries to stop you then they can answer to me.” It’s a fiercely bold statement and Kara’s eyes and jaw appear hard with conviction. Her features soften a moment later and she swallows thickly. “ I haven’t… I haven’t been with anyone else since we,” She pauses, catches Lena’s eyes and whispers warmly, “well, since our first time together. When I asked you to be mine, I was saying I’d be yours, too. Exclusively.”

 

Lena’s heart races from the reassurance and she grabs onto her waist, resting her head against Kara’s abs. “I wish you could physically claim me,” she whispers. “I wish you could make it known that I belong to you, and I could walk around with the evidence that you’re my alpha. If only everyone could know that you’ve spoken for me.” It would save Lena from dealing with a bombardment from other alphas and betas if they could all detect Kara’s scent on her. 

 

If she is carrying Kara’s child, eventually they should all be able to recognize it, but not this early on and not until Lena’s been more thoroughly mated. 

 

Lena’s devotion shows in her smile as she gazes up at Kara and eases the boxers down from her hips. At eye level with Kara’s cock, the color in Lena’s face deepens and her breathing becomes shallow. She can smell the arousal that clings to the tip of Kara’s erection. Her tongue sweeps over her lower lip, wetting it before she bends forward to suck on the broad head. 

 

The taste of Kara satisfies Lena and she moans as her mouth encloses around the swollen brim. She curves her tongue along the underside of Kara’s penis, finding a sensitive spot that makes Kara tense. “Someone once told me I would be good at this,” Lena admits shyly. 

 

Kara’s toes curl into the carpet and her hand smooths over Lena’s hair, clutching her ponytail loosely as the breath sticks in her lungs. There’s a moan that lodges in her chest, and it blends with a startled question before she can stop it, “Who said that?” There’s a sharpness to the words that sound suspiciously like jealousy, but Lena’s warm mouth pulls another groan from Kara, confirming that she is good at it.

 

“Just a friend. She was offering me some unsolicited advice about sex.” Lena smirks around the thick bulge in her mouth, pushing it into the velvet warmth of her cheek before she slides her lips down further towards the base. She takes encouragement from the way Kara squirms in place, and Lena strokes at her cock with a hand while pumping her lips over it. “Have you done this before?” she asks. 

 

“Oh.” Kara whispers breathlessly. Sparks of pleasure cause her eyes to roll back and her fingers to weave further into Lena’s hair, clasping the nape of her neck with a low groan that makes Kara’s chest heave. “Yes,” Kara states, her excitement delaying her answer. She inhales so fast she almost chokes on her honesty, “But it—it wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t emotionally invested.” 

 

Lena’s green eyes become almost steely, drained of all emotion except a quiet territorial rage. She strokes Kara’s cock with firmer and more confident motions, while her tongue spirals around the rim of the head. Two trickles of Kara’s arousal cling to her lips and Lena licks them away as she speaks. “And now? How emotionally invested would you say you are?” 

 

Forcing Kara’s length deeper into her throat, Lena feels a tiny spasm of resistance. It’s hard to ignore, but she’s determined to be better at this than anyone Kara’s ever been with in the past. 

 

“Completely.” Kara's voice raises in pitch, “One hu- _unn_ -dred percent invested.” She whimpers at the intensity of Lena’s hand and mouth, her own opening in surprise to let out a guttural moan. “Oh fffuhh-, Lena that’s--” Kara bites her lip, her fingers curling in Lena’s hair as she struggles to breathe, every fiber of her being straining as she tries to control herself.

 

Lena is unrelenting and continues to suck, hollowing her cheeks to make the sensations more powerful. The wetness from her mouth allows her to jerk Kara’s cock in a smooth and repetitive motion with her fist. “Come in my mouth,” Lena commands. 

 

It’s her request that ends Kara’s will to fight it, and a warm blast of seed hits the back of Lena’s throat. She locks her lips around Kara and shuts her eyes while she swallows. 

 

Kara’s hips rock and her legs tremble as her release washes over her, white hot tingles from head to toes that leave her gasping. Her own eyes open just in time to see Lena watching her, and she moans softly, cupping Lena’s cheek lovingly as she pants, “Wow, Lena that was—” She’s grinning, a blissful glow brightening her cheeks as she states in awe, “You’re incredible.” 

 

Kara’s enthusiasm carries her onto the bed and she kisses Lena deeply. “So amazing.”

 

Lena chews her lower lip before kissing Kara again with insistence and scorching heat. They tangle into each other with Kara’s knee resting between Lena’s thighs. 

 

“Did you bring any condoms?” Lena asks softly, entreating Kara with a flirty little smile. 

 

“I made sure to keep some on me after the last time.” Kara confides, and she turns to look at her pants heaped on the floor with a bit of a laugh. “There’s a couple in my wallet.” She discloses, but makes no move to get them as she nuzzles into Lena, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair and perfume. 

 

“I’ll grab them in a minute.” Kara promises, content to be wrapped around Lena.

 

Lena tucks her face into the crook of Kara’s neck and basks in the warm tingles of happiness that shoot through her naked skin. 

 

They grind against each other and kiss until Kara’s cock hardens again, enough to elicit a gasp from Lena. The condoms lie forgotten on the floor as Kara’s length rubs against her pussy. With every upward stroke, Lena feels it nudge into her, resting just inside of her opening. “Forget the condoms,” Lena breathes with urgency. 

 

“But I—we should—” 

 

Kara loses the will to argue as Lena’s heat wraps around her tip, and she bucks on instinct, plunging her thick cock into the exquisite slickness of Lena’s pussy. 

 

The groan that erupts from Kara fills the room, and she pushes her face into Lena’s neck as she resists the urge to leave her mark.

 

They are both impulsive enough to do this again without protection, far too in the moment to care. 

 

Lena’s sex drive proves too strong, and Kara’s cock opens up the aching walls of her tight pussy with fast and deep strokes. 

 

Caught up in the act, Lena finds herself crawling onto her hands and knees as Kara moves in behind her. 

 

The full spread of pussy is on view, outer lips held apart in this new stance, while her tight inner lips cling to Kara’s girthier cock. “Kara,” she grunts. “It feels so good like this.”

 

“So good,” Kara agrees in a low, gravelly husk. “In so deep.” Kara’s hands grasp Lena’s hips, pulling her back into every hard, full thrust. The sounds of her thighs slapping against Lena’s ass resonate around the room, and she blindly reaches over Lena towards the bedside table, inadvertently mounting her further as she pushes her into the bed while fumbling with the iPad until music blares, drowning the noise of them out.

 

Lena drops her head against the mattress, keeping herself in a low bend as their rutting turns messy and rougher. She’s unable to control how she moan-screams, quiet at first and then louder as Kara slams into her with even more vigor. “You’re going to knot me again,” she realizes aloud and begins to notice the swelling along the base of Kara’s cock. “I can feel it—"

 

There’s an urgency in Kara, a deep-seated and primal need that drives her to take Lena faster. “Yes…” She half growls, half groans as the knot expands. Kara pushes into Lena before it fully forms so that it grows within her slick, warm walls. She feels it stretch Lena, a pressure so deliciously confining as it keeps her locked inside.

 

Intense, pleasurable convulsions of release only make Lena tighter, and her pussy squeezes around Kara’s enormous knot. Lena raises herself onto her hands again, but it becomes almost uncomfortable to remain upright. She sees their reflection in her floor length mirror, all of the sensuous curves of her body, and Kara’s lean muscle behind her.

 

Kara’s focus is solely on Lena, her head bowed and eyes on her ass as she juts her hips forward, rocking into the exquisite spasms that ripple around her hard length. A noise of ecstasy catches in Kara’s throat, and one hand moves from Lena’s hip to latch onto her shoulder for leverage, holding Lena in place as much as keeping herself steady. The tension in Kara’s abdomen coils and then explodes through her, and her cock pulses and throbs in response.

 

Lena lowers herself onto the bed with Kara still above her, and they both lie down facing the wall. It will be a while before they can separate, and Lena drags Kara’s arms around her waist. “Think you can handle taking care of me like this every night?” Lena asks. 

 

“Well that depends on how good you are at cuddling.” Kara’s tone is teasing and a little lazy as she snuggles into Lena’s back. She kisses Lena’s shoulder, and rubs her cheek affectionately against it as she settles in. Her hand falls naturally over Lena’s stomach, and Kara clutches her closer, exhaling a content and happy noise. “I want this with you.”

 

Lena’s breath catches in her throat and she places her hand on top of Kara’s as she thinks of the future. She exhales and pushes her stomach outward, just enough to aid her imagination. “I want it, too, Kara,” she softly intones. “More than you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We really appreciate comments & kudos. :) Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Lena awakens the next morning half wrapped in a blanket and shivering from the autumn cold. The window has been left open, and she’s hit by a wave of nausea the moment she sits up. 

 

It comes on too fast and she scrambles to get to the bathroom. She vomits with harsh and hacking coughs, her body shaking as she empties out her stomach. 

 

Lena rinses her mouth out afterwards and rests on the tile floor, then crawls back into her bed, unwilling to brave the morning just yet. 

 

There’s a rustle of paper as Kara climbs back into the room, whispering enthusiastically, “I know we’ll see each other at breakfast but I wanted to wake you up with these.” 

 

Kara’s clutching a bag of freshly made donuts. Not just any, but Lena’s favorite, and they don’t stock them on campus. 

 

Kara closes the window and cringes at the new scent in the room. Sniffing loudly, she pauses just shy of the bed as she takes in the sight of Lena’s pale face. “Lena, are you feeling okay?”

 

“Just a little sick from dinner last night. We really shouldn’t have ordered that late night Chinese food,” Lena insists as she accepts the donuts with a wan smile. 

 

“Oh, I won’t order from that place again,” Kara promises. “Do you want me to bring you something to drink? Tea or maybe a vitamin water?”

 

“I’m feeling better now,” Lena lies, even as she opens the bag of donuts and her stomach churns enough to expose her. 

 

The aroma of the grease wafts up to her nostrils and Lena dry heaves, determined not to be sick in front of Kara. “This was very thoughtful of you. Why don’t you have one?” She holds the bag open for Kara and waits impatiently until she selects a donut covered in crystals of sugar. “I think I’m actually going to skip breakfast this morning. ”

 

Kara wraps her donut in a napkin and sets it aside so she can sit by Lena. “I could walk you to class?” She suggests, and rubs soothing circles over Lena’s upper back. “I can carry your bags if you still feel sick.”

 

“We really shouldn’t be seen together all that much,” Lena sighs. “But I’ll see you there.” 

 

The idea of sitting in class fills Lena with dread in a way it never has before. She hates being dismissive of Kara’s offer, and she can sense the pout before it fully appears on Kara’s lips. 

 

“On second thought, maybe you _could_ just carry my books,” Lena considers. “That’s totally innocent. Who is going to think we’re having sex based on that?” 

 

Her questions are answered a little while later when they are both walking to the distant building where their biology lab meets. 

 

Two of the guys in their class rush by, and the larger one knocks the books from Kara’s hands. “If I carry her books, do you think I’ll get some, too?” he smirks. 

 

The shorter one spins to Lena and laughs, “Hey, Lena, you look pretty exhausted today. Why don’t you sit down? On my dick.”

 

He has the nerve to reach out and yank at Lena’s skirt, and she’s so preoccupied by him that she doesn’t see how Kara grabs the larger guy and breaks his fingers. The crunching noise is what gets her attention and Lena’s head snaps up in surprise. 

 

“Don’t talk about my friend that way!” Kara’s voice is lower than usual, a snarl that scratches at the back of her throat as she glares at the guy clutching his hand.

 

His eyes are wide as he falls back with a yelp, his voice a high-pitched whine as he sputters, “We were just joking—”

 

“Yeah, like any Omega would fuck a loser like you,” laughs the shorter guy, turning to smirk at Kara. “Everyone knows you’re an Alpha, but you act like such a little Beta-bitch.”

 

“Is that so?” Kara asks, her jaw set as she steps towards him.

 

Unaware of his friend’s broken fingers, the shorter one grins wider and attempts to make himself look bigger as he declares, “The whole university laughs at you, Danvers. You give Alphas a bad name.”

 

“Because I don’t harass other people like you?” Kara shoots back, her hands balling into fists.

 

“You’re weak and pathetic.” He sneers. “I could kick your ass in front of Lena right now, and I bet she’d thank me for showing her what a real—”

 

Kara throws her fist so fast the guy doesn’t have the time to react. She smashes it into his nose, the resounding _crack_ music to her ears. “You were saying?”

 

“You—you bitch!” He yells, cradling his face as he switches from an offensive stance to a more huddled, defensive one. 

 

“You want another?” Kara asks casually, raising her fist just to watch him flinch back. “Leave Lena alone, or next time it’ll be worse,” she warns.

 

Lena stares in awed silence and then bends to collect her books, safe for once from the unwanted attentions of her classmates. 

 

The two guys run off, and although a crowd has gathered around, no one is willing to harass Lena in Kara’s presence. 

 

“Thank you,” Lena whispers and hovers at Kara’s side, despite how her stomach lurches. She tightens her lips against the sick that rises into her mouth. “You saved me from humiliation.”

 

Kara’s scowl vanishes as she turns to Lena, her tone soft and cheeks flushed as she whispers back, “And I always will.”

 

Alex strides up beside Kara with her eyebrows raised. “Perfect right hook,” she proudly states and claps Kara on the back while they all head towards the door to the building. “Next time swing hard enough to knock out a few teeth. It’ll be an easy way to identify all of the predatory alphas.”

 

Kara laughs, fixes her glasses and then rolls her eyes at Alex. “I’m sure that’d go down well with the Dean.” She shrugs and slings her backpack over one shoulder before muttering under her breath. “Nobody should have to put up with that on campus. I’m just glad I was here when it happened. I don’t think they’ll bother anyone for a while.”

 

Filing into the classroom, they all dash to their usual seats and open their books under the scrutiny of their professor. 

 

“Late, late and _late,_ ” Professor Grant intones, gesturing to each of them in turn as they get settled. “Someone please repeat the attendance policy to me.”

 

Kara’s friend Winn glances up from his syllabus and dutifully reads, “Unless I am in the throes of death, I will attend every class at the scheduled time. I expect the same level of dedication from all of you.”

 

“I trust you have a good excuse for your lateness,” Professor Grant sighs, and her heels click the floor until she pauses in front of a whiteboard. 

 

“She’s literally the only professor who interrogates us when we’re late,” Winn mumbles under his breath. “Didn’t anyone give her the memo that she’s teaching college and not grade school? No one else is like this. Why would you ever choose her to be your advisor for your thesis?” 

 

Alex catches Kara’s eye and inconspicuously motions to Lena, where she sits with her shoulders drawn together and her head down. 

 

Looking at the way Lena’s hunched towards her desk, Kara suddenly sits up straighter, her head whipping towards the front of the room as she lifts her hand into the air. “It was my fault, Professor Grant.”

 

“ _Kiera,_ ” Professor Grant sings out, folding her arms as she eyes her student critically. “Why am I not surprised.” She waits a beat, then huffs out an impatient breath. “Well? Explain yourself. Why were you all late?”

 

Kara cringes under the inspection of everyone in the class and pushes her glasses up in reflex. “I uh.. well I-” The class is silent, and Kara fumbles for an excuse as she blurts, “There was a problem with my – my books.”

 

“Your _books._ ” Professor Grant repeats dryly and stands with her hands clasped in front of her. “That involved three of you?”

 

“I had a collision with another student on my way here and it sent them all flying.” Kara states, blinking as she attempts to come with a solid story. “They helped me gather them up. I’m sorry we were late. It won’t happen again.”

 

Professor Grant stares at her silently, waiting until it becomes uncomfortable before turning back to the whiteboard. “See me after class. Now, everyone get to work and start preparing your wet slides.”

 

Winn frowns at Kara, and uses his pen to point at her knuckles where a smear of blood coats them. “What’s that about?” He whispers.

 

Hastily, Kara wipes them clean on her pants and clears her throat. “Uh, nothing. Jelly donut.” She lies, smiling tightly as she flips open her lab journal and glances at Lena.

 

Lena has an easier time of controlling her nausea when she’s readying slides. She’s unaware of Kara’s eyes on her, or how Alex studies her posture and low energy more than the specimens they examine together under a microscope. 

 

At the end of the lab session, Alex lingers at her desk and Lena rushes off to the bathroom. 

 

Professor Grant motions for Alex to get out and then crosses her arms as she awaits Kara at the front of the class.

 

Alex bravely holds her ground and leans back against a desk. 

 

Professor Grant eyeballs her and pauses, steepling her fingers and pursing her lips curiously. “Alex Danvers, do you want an extra assignment? 

 

Deflating at the threat, Alex grabs her bag and throws a glance at Kara. “Meet you outside. I’ll go check on Lena.”

 

Professor Grant’s face shows no emotion as Alex brushes by to exit the classroom. “Have a good day,” she remarks and then turns her full attention to Kara. 

 

“I suggest the next time you lie to someone’s face, you don’t give her the weakest excuse you can possibly think up,” Professor Grant emphasizes. “Now are you going to tell me why Ms. Luthor looked like she wanted to disappear when she’s usually the most vocal person in the class, and why you were fighting two of my other students this morning? I saw you through the window.”

 

“They were harassing Lena. One of the guys even tried to lift her skirt!” Kara’s tone is already louder than usual, her hands waving through the air as she talks. “I couldn’t just stand there and let them do that. It was disgusting. If I hadn’t stepped in—”

 

Professor Grant sighs, her eyes rolling towards the heavens as she drawls. “Why is it that the only time I can trust the alphas to exceed my expectations is when their misogynistic or aggressive tendencies come into play? But usually it’s only the boys who feel they have something to prove.” She pins Kara with a deprecating look, one which dares her to argue. 

 

Kara’s face reddens and she shakes her head as she stutters out a justification. “ _No_ , I was protecting—”

 

“Kiera,” Professor Grant’s dry tone cuts her off. “I’ve worked here for thirteen years. Do you know how many times I’ve seen alphas bash each other’s heads in _just_ to protect a friend?”

 

“Uh…” Kara swallows thickly, her face hopeful as she guesses. “More times that you can remember?”

 

Professor Grant smirks, a fleeting twist of her lips that falls away as she states sharply, “ _Zero._ Don’t get me wrong, they all believe they’re being noble, but at the root of it, it’s always about ego, and impressing a mate—”

 

“We’re just friends!” Kara rushes to explain, her face burning hot enough to give her secrets away.

 

“Mm.” Professor Grant cocks her head and considers aloud, “ _Potential_ mate, then. Either way, you of all people should know better. What if your anger or ego had caused you to strike harder than you intended? How would you explain to everyone watching if you were to punch someone through a wall, or worse?”

 

“I-I would never do that—” Kara sputters indignantly.

 

“Well, not dressed like that, at least.” Professor Grant exhales loudly, and gives Kara a disappointed glance. “I expect more control from you, and while it might not seem fair, it’s necessary. You chose to reveal yourself to National City, and now you have to live up to the expectations of everyone in it. As a force of good. Learn to keep your impulses in check. Now go, before you’re late for your other class.”

 

Pressing her lips together, Kara casts her eyes down and shuffles in place. “I know.” She mumbles, and then clears her throat before admitting, “I’m almost out of my suppressors.”

 

Professor Grant nods, then turns to wipe the whiteboard clean, effectively dismissing Kara. “I’ll have some for you soon. Until then, stay out of trouble. Now go, chop chop.”

 

Kara scurries out of the room and all but runs into Alex waiting on the other side of the door.

 

“Lena won’t come out of the bathroom,” Alex reports and folds her arms in front of her while glancing over Kara’s shoulder. “Let me guess, Professor Grant chewed you out for your carelessness?” 

 

“Yeah, she wasn’t happy that I hit anyone.” Kara sighs, her features clouding with worry as she gazes towards the bathroom. “Maybe I should check on Lena? I think what happened really upset her, you know?”

 

Alex chews her lip, swallowing a protest before it fully forms, and then she inclines her head towards the bathroom. “I’ll wait here, but don’t be long. You know how much people enjoy talking.”

 

Kara hesitates, her eyes darting around the corridor as she reconsiders. “Maybe — _maybe_ you should check on her then? I don’t want to make her feel worse.”

 

“Fine, but you owe me a bottle of wine,” Alex huffs. “I’m going to need it to unwind after dealing with all of your personal life drama. I’ll be right back.” She shoves open the heavy door to the restroom. 

 

Alex raps her knuckles against the stall where she hears Lena wretch. The sound is followed by soft gagging noises and coughing. 

 

“Lena?” Alex whispers urgently, knocking at the stall for a second time. “It’s me, Alex. You sound pretty sick.” 

 

Lena exits the stall with a wad of tissue pressed up against her face to wipe the sick away. She hurries to a sink to clean her hands and mouth. 

 

“Alex, I trust you,” Lena breathes out and tears rush into her eyes. “I need you to forget that you saw me like this. Don’t tell Kara—“

 

“That you’re pregnant,” Alex concludes, her forehead tensing as she approaches and rests a hand on Lena’s shoulder. “After I guessed that Kara slept with you, I had my concerns. Not many people would pick up on it, but I lived with Kara for years and I can still smell her on you, even though you’re using some kind of spray. Your heat also gave it away. In young omegas, I’ve read that sometimes the entire pregnancy is like one long heat. I’m assuming you’ve known about this for a few weeks now, Lena. Why don’t you want to tell Kara what’s going on?”

 

“I do,” Lena assures her in a frightened whisper. Her color changes from sheet white to a redder, guilty shade and she glances around before she continues to discuss this sensitive topic out in the open. “I just can’t right now. You saw how Kara reacted earlier when those guys were taunting me. I deal with that kind of harassment on a regular basis. Kara would never stand for that if she knew. Besides, maybe she’s not ready for all of this, you know? And then there’s the problem of my brother. He believes it’s his right to choose my partner. Thankfully he’s waiting until after I graduate. That’s long enough for me to work out another plan of my own—”

 

Lena stops short of saying more when the bathroom door opens. 

 

“I know he’s hot, but he works at a diner!” Three friends laugh as they enter, oblivious to the conversation they have just intruded on. “If I settle for a beta he should at least be loaded,” says one of the three. 

 

Alex nudges Lena subtly and turns the tap on as she announces, “So yeah, I’m never eating take-out from that place ever again. You sure I didn’t splash myself? Oh god, I think I’m gonna throw up.” She slaps a hand dramatically over her mouth and pretends to dry heave.

 

The scent of vomit reaches the girls and they cringe at Alex in the mirror. 

 

“On second thought, I don’t need to go that badly.” The leader of the trio remarks, much to the amusement of her friends. They laugh again and follow her back out without so much as noticing Lena.

 

Alex smirks and dries her hands on a paper towel, then launches it into the bin. “I don’t like to keep secrets from my sister,” Alex forewarns. “But I will keep this to myself for now, on the condition that you promise me you’ll tell her soon.”

 

Lena stares at the draining water in the sink and nods in agreement. “ _Soon,_ ” she echoes, content with that vague measure of time. 

 

 _Soon_ could be days away, or months in the future, and Lena chooses not to give Alex a precise idea of when she will confide in Kara. 

 

“Thank you. For what you just did, and for being my confidante,” Lena states, and leaves the bathroom before Alex can press her for more details. 

 

As the week passes by, Lena continues to find plenty of excuses _not_ to tell Kara, especially after she has a few good mornings without nausea and vomiting. 

 

In her role as sorority president, Lena spends several afternoons finalizing event arrangements and decorations for the Omega Chi Beta charity ball. It gives her a reason to skip study sessions in the library with Alex and Kara, and to avoid going to the dining hall with both of them at meal times.

 

By Friday, Lena misses Kara terribly and requests help in setting up for the charity ball. 

 

Lena draws disapproving looks from Alex when she _also_ shows up to lend a hand with decorations. 

 

“Thank you both for coming,” Lena beams and reaches out to hug both Alex and Kara, then runs off to get the work underway. 

 

Lena sets up a ladder to hang streamers from the ceiling in the ballroom, and she is about to start climbing the rungs when Alex intervenes. 

 

“You shouldn’t be doing that,” Alex mutters and scans the room to find Kara standing with a group of Lena’s sorority sisters. “What if you fall?”

 

“I won’t,” Lena asserts flatly, with a smile on her face that widens when Kara peers over in her direction. “I’m an excellent climber.”

 

“Fine. I’ll stand here and keep the ladder steady.” Alex offers, in a tone that says she knows Lena can’t fight her on this suggestion. She’s smug about it too, and glances over to make sure Kara is still busy. 

 

Alex rolls her eyes at the sight of Lena’s sorority friends fawning over Kara. 

 

Kara’s barely looking at any of the girls, especially after Lena ascends the ladder and she’s granted a better view of her ass. 

 

“So, what other things need to be done?” Kara asks, her smile becoming strained as she feels a hand on her arm.

 

“We need help with the chairs, and you’re pretty strong,” says a blonde girl flirtatiously. “There’s stacks of them in the back that need to be brought in.”

 

Kara’s already forgotten the girl’s name, and she cranes her neck to gawk at Lena. “Okay,” She mumbles distractedly. “I’m on it, Tammy.”

 

“It’s Stacey.” The blonde sighs and takes her hand back in frustration. “Who did you say you’re bringing to the ball?”

 

“No one. Just friends,” Kara clarifies, her smile bright as she forces her attention back to the girl. “Are you bringing someone?” She politely inquires.

 

“No.” Stacey laughs, her eyes roaming over Kara’s muscles in an appraising and interested way. “I like to keep my options open, so if you’re looking for a little fun tonight—”

 

“She’s _not,_ ” Lena states indignantly. She has walked across the room without Kara noticing, and she searches for another pack of streamers while Stacey gapes at her. 

 

Lena challenges Stacey with a frosty glare while rummaging through the items on the nearest table. “I mean, _of course_ Kara wants to have fun, but this event is for charity. Raising money should be your top priority as a new pledge. You shouldn’t be looking for an alpha to raise _anything else_ for your own private enjoyment. It’s already very generous of them to attend--” 

 

In her blind search for the streamers, Lena overlooks the pack entirely and Alex pulls them out from an obvious location. 

 

“Right here in plain sight, just like your jealousy,” Alex quietly declares, careful not to be heard by Stacey or Kara. 

 

“I’m sorry. You’re right, this is about our charity. I’ll just-” Stacey stumbles over her own feet in her haste to back away. “I’ll help with getting the refreshments organized.” She blurts, and darts off to join the other girls.

 

Kara laughs awkwardly and waves goodbye before Alex elbows her in the ribs. “Ow-I was just being _friendl-luh_ -” She follows Alex’s eyes and finds Lena’s boring into her with piercing intensity. “L-Lena I uh.” Kara’s pitch is higher, and she nervously wets her lips and presses her fingers against the table in a bashful manner. “I really like the color scheme you chose. It’s very classy and elegant.”

 

Lena’s unable to cover up the hurt in her eyes, if only because her hormones are affecting her. “I didn’t actually choose the color scheme,” she reminds Kara. “I was at home when my sorority sisters made all of these final selections. But you can pass your compliments on to Beth, Stacey and the other girls. I’m sure you’ll get the chance to talk to _many_ of them tonight.” Bitterness creeps into Lena’s tone and she sticks out her chin, pouting as she rips open a pack of streamers. “Alex, would you mind hanging the rest of these?”

 

Alex is all too eager to volunteer and rushes away to avoid the tension between Lena and Kara. 

 

Kara bites her lip and hangs her head as she mumbles quietly, “I’m not interested in Stacey. I couldn’t even remember her name and she told me like five times. I was too busy watching—” She falters, her eyes narrowing and face scrunching as she blurts, “James?”

 

Lena straightens up and turns around at Kara’s outburst, only to stare up at James who towers directly over her. 

 

“Hey,” James greets them, though he stays at Lena’s side and grins down at her. “Thought I’d stop by and lend you a hand, too.”

 

“Of course you did.” Kara murmurs under her breath, not nearly as subtly as she might have intended. “I mean I’m _so_ glad that you’re here. We have chairs that need to be brought in and we could use your muscles.” Kara corrects herself, and points James in the opposite direction. “If you could—”

 

“Actually, I could use help in here with the tables,” Lena interrupts and gestures towards the fold-out tables propped against the walls that need to be set up. “Kara will get the chairs.” 

 

It’s not a purposeful move to get rid of Kara — in fact, Lena thinks she’s sparing her some muscle strain – but Kara still glowers as she trudges off to find the chairs. 

 

Lena resumes sorting through the bags of decorations and tries not to dwell on how her sorority sisters giggle at Kara. 

 

James carries an entire table on his shoulders like it’s no more trouble than a backpack. 

 

By the time Lena’s finished organizing, James singlehandedly accomplishes the task that it would have taken at least three of Lena’s helpers to complete. 

 

Lena’s jaw drops while she watches him, and she finds herself sitting down in one of the chairs that Kara leaves next to her. She feels a cramp in her side and hunches forward, her eyes on James as she tries to breathe. 

 

To everyone else, it might seem like Lena’s enamored with him, especially to James, because he pauses every now and then to flash her a grin. 

 

“I was thinking tonight after the ball, you and I could hang out,” James proposes and slides into the chair across from her as he furtively glances around the dance hall. “I know you aren’t interested in sex right now, Lena, but there are other ways to deal with your omega needs. Just remember, I’m the man to take care of you. I would never push for more, at least not until you’re officially mine—”

 

Lena might be more offended if not for the uncomfortable spasm in her lower abdomen. She helplessly attempts to get Alex’s attention, and then searches the room for anyone else. 

 

Her close friend Sam is chatting in the corner with Stacey, but she breaks away from the conversation to get to Lena. 

 

“What do you need, babe?” Sam asks, leaning over the back of her chair with her arms draped casually over Lena’s shoulders. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m really not feeling well,” Lena informs James, and then shakily stands up while gripping Sam’s arm. 

 

“Is there anything I can do?” James frowns and hurries to his feet, concern all over his face. 

 

Lena stays calm and takes deep inhalations while tightening her grip on Sam. “I’ve just been working way too hard this week and staying up all night to study,” she admits. “I’m going to find a quiet spot to shut my eyes for a little while.” 

 

Sam follows her cue and leads Lena into a quieter sitting area, where she can curl up on a couch.

 

Lena isn’t worried about the cramp, if only because she’s right on track to have pains from the implantation, and there’s no other signs of a possible issue. 

 

“I’m exhausted and I’m starving,” Lena realizes aloud, and bunches her legs underneath herself as she gets cozy on the sofa. “I could eat an entire pizza, with chow mein on top—" 

 

With a nervous laugh, Sam sinks down beside Lena on the couch and cuddles into her. “Were you just pretending to be sick to get out of talking to James?” she asks. 

 

“I was telling the truth, but the sudden onset of illness saved me from a discussion I’d rather not have,” Lena sighs and peers around the corner to where Kara’s sitting on top of a short stack of chairs, head down and hands folded in her lap. 

 

“Is James trying to stake his claim?” Sam asks with a disgusted scrunch of her nose. “Alphas are all the same. You smile, or laugh at a joke, and suddenly they think you belong to them.”

 

Lena should be staring at James, who is the subject of their conversation, but her eyes remain on Kara. 

 

Kara shifts from her seat, and then pointedly walks by James without glancing at him. She catches Alex by the elbow and guides her towards the front of the room as she hisses, “I hate this. I thought helping would be fun, but it’s—”

 

“Jealousy eating you up inside?” Alex mutters under her breath and casually casts her gaze towards James, who is trying to arrange tables in Lena’s line of sight.

 

“Yes.” Kara blurts, then realizes she’s supposed to be playing it cool. “I mean no, of course not. We’re—”

 

“Just friends.” Alex cuts in, raising an eyebrow as she tries to stop a smirk from forming.

 

Kara huffs out a breath and leans against the refreshment table. “Well, we are friends.” She mumbles stubbornly, her eyes flicking to where Lena is sitting.

 

“If you’re attending this ball tonight then you can’t strut around miserable or everyone will draw conclusions.” Alex points out as tactfully as she can. “You’re both hopeless.” She adds, and inclines her head towards Lena who is avidly watching them.

 

Lena lifts her nose and turns away, refusing to meet Alex’s judging stare. “You’re right about alphas,” Lena rumbles to Sam. “I _hate_ that you’re right.” 

 

Sam’s curiosity piques and she wears a thoughtful expression, as if she’s figuring out that Lena’s current problem is more complex than she’s willing to acknowledge. “Are you seeing someone?” she asks. “Beth claims there’s been an alpha or two lurking around the sorority house—"

 

“Please,” Lena sniffs in insult and a fake smile curls at her lips. “If you listen to what Beth or what anyone else says about me, then I’ve slept with over 20 alphas in the past week alone. I’m good at multi-tasking, but I’m not _that_ good.”

 

“Not _good_?” James laughs with a look that burns through Lena, which transforms into a lazy and teasing smile. He walks closer to check on her now that all of the tables are in place. “I bet you do have a wilder side to you. If you were an animal, what would you be? A panther?”

 

“A _panther_?” Lena squints and stands up, about ready to tell him off, and give up on her entire plan to socialize with as many alphas as possible. 

 

“Sleek, fast, and under the right conditions, she _could_ tear someone limb from limb,” Sam mutters under her breath, and then manages to put on a patient smile for James. “Can you bring in the rest of the chairs? It seems like Kara’s falling down on the job.”

 

“Sure,” James replies and wanders off to do Sam’s bidding, all while leering at Lena. 

 

Lena stalks across the ball room towards Kara, and makes it a point to brush up against her as she gathers other decorations from the table. “I’m going to leave the rest of the prep work to my committee,” she states. “So if you want to go now, feel free. I’ll see you later tonight.”

 

“Oh, well, okay. I’ll see you in a few hours then,” Kara whispers. Lena’s heat is still strong and the urges in Kara's body react instantly. 

 

Lena pauses, giving Kara enough time to say something, anything, but they only stare at each other heatedly. 

 

Her presence affects Kara so much that she topples a bottle of unopened wine onto the table and hurries to catch it before it smashes on the floor.

 

“I’ll see you later,” Lena grumpily spits out and gathers up her purse, then struts off to the exit. 

 

“When is Professor Grant giving you a refill of your pills?” Alex inquires once Lena has gone.

 

“Tonight,” Kara quietly confides, and sucks in a deep breath to clear her mind.

 

“For your sake, I hope so.” Alex mutters and nudges her sister towards the door. “Let’s get out of here. Everything is basically done.”

 

 

 

The rest of the afternoon flies by, and the ball is in full swing when news spreads of a train derailment. 

 

There are murmurs of Supergirl saving the day, and everyone is either checking their phones for updates, watching the monitors in a side room, or milling around on the dance floor and talking about it.

 

Lena tracks the crisis situation while also keeping a close eye on the door as she waits for Kara. 

 

Alex stands with Lena, placating her with a soft lie, “She just gets nervous about attending these things. Don’t worry. She’ll be here.”

 

Moments later, Kara pushes her way into the ball, turning heads because of the suit she’s wearing. She spies Lena immediately and smiles, but before she’s taken three steps, a few familiar faces crowd in around her.

 

“Wow, you look great.” Mike rumbles approvingly, running his hand over Kara’s arm. “I was starting to--”

 

“Worry I wasn’t coming?” Kara asks, barely glancing at him as she steps around a few girls that are blocking her view of Lena.

 

Mike grins, leaning into Kara’s personal space as he brags flirtatiously, “I’ve never had a problem getting you to do that.”

 

Kara cringes and rolls her eyes, shrugging him off her arm as she forces out a laugh, “Well I’m here, and I’m sure I’ll catch up with you later.” She insists, side stepping him.

 

Lena’s in a red gown that reveals her collarbones, and plunges low enough to show off the swell of her breasts. She drifts towards Kara, clutching the side of her dress, but hesitates when she sees Mike. 

 

Lena’s face falls, and she backs away in the opposite direction, caught between Stacey and two other alphas whose eyes stray right to her chest. 

 

Alex flounders as she tries to go after Lena, then gives up and hurries towards Kara instead. 

 

A louder song begins to play and students crush themselves onto the dance floor, surrounding Alex. 

 

“Kara,” Alex shouts. “Are you okay?” 

 

Lena meanwhile searches sea of faces around her, unable to find an escape path before Maxwell Lord gravitates to her. 

 

“Lena,” Maxwell hums, pressing his tongue against a sharp tooth as he glances down at her dress. “Dance?”

 

“Why not?” Lena huffs defeatedly and takes the hand he extends to her. Maxwell pulls her into his arms, and she moves with him to the tempo of the music. 

 

“This might be the best event your sorority has hosted yet,” Maxwell remarks with a wolfish smile. “Omega Chi Beta is well-known for their fabulous parties, but I’ve heard that they’ve gotten lackluster over the years. It must be your leadership abilities that has made the difference.”

 

Lena smiles with genuine warmth at his compliments. “Thank you,” she breathes. “That’s very kind of you to say.” She steals a glance towards Kara, and then swings her eyes back to Maxwell. 

 

“Alex!” Kara yells, pushing through the crowd as couples begin to form to dance the night away. “Where did Lena go? Is she mad that I’m late?”

 

“No, but I think _she’s_ …” Alex stops talking when she realizes Mike is practically up her sister’s back. 

 

Stacey seems to have floated over too, and is idly twirling a strand of her blonde hair as she gazes adoringly up at Kara. 

 

“Why don’t we go get some drinks?” Alex suggests instead, and snags Kara’s hand to pull her towards the refreshment table.

 

Kara’s relieved to have a reason to untangle herself from Mike, and by the time she’s at the punch bowl, she notices Lena twirling on the dance floor, her face glowing and her smile radiant. 

 

Kara’s stomach flutters at the sight of her, and she steps forward, drawn to Lena as though she’s magnetized. Her smile falters as Maxwell leads Lena around the room effortlessly, and Kara grabs a cup of punch that she drains in three gulps.

 

“Whoa, slow down there.” Alex cautions through a smile that has her teeth clenching. “It might not hit you the same but people are watching.” She waves to a few looking their way and whispers, “We’re at a ball. There’s gonna be dancing.”

 

“You’re absolutely right.” Kara agrees, composing herself as she fights to keep her attention off of Lena. “We should all be having fun.” She smiles at Mike, and steps towards him as he approaches her with a grin.

 

“So about that dance?” Mike jokes, holding his hand out in offering.

 

“Sure.” Kara sighs, faking a smile as she takes his hand and follows him onto the dance floor.

 

“Oh this is gonna be bad.” Alex murmurs to herself around the brim of a cup. She sips her punch as she spots Lena craning her neck to watch Kara.

 

Lena’s face drains of color as she sees Kara with Mike again. Her shoulders sag in devastation. “I think I want some punch,” she mutters to Maxwell in the hopes of excusing herself. 

 

It’s a surprise when Maxwell ushers her to the refreshment table and pours a glass for her. 

 

Lena takes a drink before she realizes it’s been spiked, and her eyebrows raise in alarm. She acts on instinct and spits the punch out. “That’s… absolutely disgusting,” she declares. 

 

Under normal circumstances, Lena would drink it, and everyone nearby notices her bizarre behavior. 

 

“It’s far too watered down and not cold enough,” Lena blurts, seeking a way to explain herself as she reaches for a cup of soda and a cookie. 

 

Maxwell shrugs at that and tugs a flask from inside his vest. He dumps the strong-smelling alcohol into the punch bowl and fills another cup for Lena. “There,” he grins. “I’ve got you covered. I imagine you don’t want to be the only sober person here tonight.”

 

Alex spots Lena’s distress, and then mutters a curse as she rushes over to intentionally bump into Lena.

 

Lena drops the punch on the floor and whips around towards Alex. “Alex!” she exhales nervously and grips her by the hand. “I owe you a dance, don’t I?”

 

“You owe me a lot more than a dance,” Alex grunts and drags Lena back out onto the dance floor. “Between you and Kara, I’m keeping a tally. I’m going to ask you both to pay up when you least expect it.”

 

“I’ll be all too happy to reciprocate.” Lena affectionately throws her arms around Alex and sways to a slower song. She even begins to enjoy herself, but when the song ends, she spies Kara with another beta from her sorority. 

 

The girl’s name is Daniela, and she’s bold enough to nuzzle into Kara’s neck while they dance. She has dark hair and features that are a little similar to Lena’s own. 

 

Lena feels her hormones go haywire, her intense sex drive adding to her aggression. “ _How dare she,_ ” she seethes, trembling from jealousy. 

 

Tears burn in Lena’s eyes, and her lower lip quivers until her anger clouds out all of her other emotions. “Kara’s doing this on purpose,” Lena grumbles. “She’s danced with three other people. She was the one who showed up late tonight!” 

 

“She’s dancing, because if she doesn’t, everyone will think she’s pining for you. And that would start rumors that you don’t want.” Alex whispers as she guides Lena, clearly determined to diffuse the argument before it begins. “You ran away when Kara arrived. What did you expect her to do?”

 

Kara’s so focused on watching Lena that she barely registers the hand moving down to her ass. Daniela grabs her and Kara jumps suddenly back, spilling drinks and causing a ripple of grunts. “Sorry… sorry I uh—I just remembered—something.” She stumbles over her excuse the way a toddler trips over its feet, and then speeds off without a backwards glance.

 

“Where’s the fire?” Winn asks, and glances over his shoulder at the pouting brunette. “You ditched her mid dance?”

 

“Let’s just say you should ask before groping someone, okay?” Kara hisses, her eyes darting around as she tries to find Lena in the swarm of other students. 

 

“She liked you a little too much, huh?” Winn arches his eyebrows and ogles the girl. Pulling at his tie and lifting his shoulders, he attempts to make himself look more appealing. “You mind if I take over?” he casually suggests, trying to up his chances.

 

“She’s all yours.” Kara sighs out, and turns to see John Corben heading towards Alex and Lena. “Oh _come on_ …” She mutters under her breath and begins to move through the crowd.

 

Alex has separated from Lena in yet another attempt to direct Kara to their location. 

 

It’s perfect timing for John to swoop in and find his way to Lena’s side.

 

Lena’s too busy gawking at Kara to care that he boldly loops an arm around her shoulder. 

 

“Lena,” John sniffs and circles in front of her, until she’s forced to stare up at him. “Dance with me?”

 

Lena shrugs in uncertainty and then takes his hand, if only because everyone’s pressing in around them to dance. She can barely stand the potent alpha scent of him, and John breathes hot against her neck as they begin to move together. 

 

“Word is that your brother has finally selected your alpha,” John croons in her ear, close enough for his lips to pass over her lobe. “I have no idea who it is, but that must be a great relief for you. Your heat must be unbearable. I can practically taste your growing desperation for an alpha’s--”

 

“Dick!” James spits, appearing out of nowhere and launching a punch at Corben’s face to knock him away from Lena. He’s fierce in his attack, shoving Corben by the shoulders through the crowd. 

 

Corben slams his own fist into the side of James’ head, and they wrestle until the dancers fan out around them, and the faculty attendees hurry in to stop them. 

 

“Jimmy Olsen and John Corben!” Professor Grant snaps, loud and threatening. “Get your hands off of each other.” Unlike the rest of her colleagues, she steps right in and pushes the young men apart as she escorts them to the exit. 

 

In the chaos of the confrontation, Lena’s only glad that everyone’s more interested in the fight than her. She slips away and into a secluded corner to breathe. 

 

Alex jumps in to help Professor Grant, and a few others join her as a couple of rowdy alphas seize the opportunity to let out some steam. One throws a wild punch and another lets out an excited yell as they fight. It draws attention and a chant goes up to encourage the violence.

 

Kara ignores them all as she trails after Lena, elbowing her way through the group in her haste to reach her side. She catches up, and clasps Lena’s arm to spin her around, “Are you okay, were you hurt?” She hurriedly asks, her gaze sweeping over Lena as she checks for any signs of injury.

 

Lena only shakes her head and tears pool in her eyes as she looks at Kara. 

 

“Come with me.” Kara urges, and leads Lena into the back, through one of the doors that takes them to the empty storage room where all the tables and chairs are usually kept. The light is dim, but it gives her a chance to pull Lena into her arms out of sight.

 

Lena nestles her face into Kara’s shoulder, taking comfort in being held. She sniffles and wipes at her wet face. 

 

The scent of Lena is rich and heady, her pheromones powerful enough to make Kara’s blood boil, and she tears herself away with a low rumble of desire. “What happened? Why did James do that?”

 

Lena finds the sole chair left in the storage room and slumps into it. “Why do you think?” she asks. “John Corben got a little too close. He said some indecent things to me. It’s possible James heard him.” She shrugs, playing it off like none of it bothers her, although it’s _really_ not just another instance of harassment. 

 

It’s different this time because John might actually be right about Lex selecting an alpha for her. 

 

Alone together in the confined space, Lena can’t focus on her stress or worry for too long, not when her Kara’s standing in front of her and their combined arousal is so strong. 

 

Their scents make Lena dizzy and she leans more heavily against the back of her chair. 

 

Kara’s enticing musk causes an uncomfortable tug in Lena’s belly. It’s a compulsion to undress, to open her legs, and to feel Kara’s cock filling her up. 

 

Lena might act on the sudden urge, if not for the resentment she’s been harboring since watching Kara with all of those betas.

 

“Seems like you were enjoying yourself up until the fight,” Lena lilts with a little hostility in her smile. “I knew there would be plenty of betas at this event that would pursue you. Did you get any phone numbers, or just straight forward offers for sex? I imagine both, based on how they were touching you.”

 

“I hated every second I had to dance with someone that wasn’t you. I didn’t want their hands on me, I didn’t want to breathe their scent or… _or_ any of it.” Kara protests harshly. Her eyes are wounded as she looks at Lena and folds her arms defensively. “Besides, you were getting pretty cozy with Maxwell Lord. You basically ran into his arms when I was looking for you.” 

 

It’s a petty remark that Kara’s probably not proud of, but her jealousy is just as fierce as Lena’s and it shows in the way she breathes. Short, sharp inhalations that do nothing but fill her senses with Lena’s intoxicating smell.

 

“You’re still in heat.” Kara remarks, as if it suddenly makes sense as to why James threw a punch. Kara’s own body temperature is rising from the proximity of Lena, and she can feel the urges stir within her. “You have to be careful.”

 

Lena’s defiant and stubborn nature take over. Her eyes are like steel, flashing bright with accusation that cuts. 

 

“Is this the start of a lecture?” Lena asks in a higher, strained pitch. “Are you telling me to be careful for my own sake? Or are you only saying that because we slept together, and now you think it’s your right to tell me what I should do? Every alpha is the same—” 

 

“What? No! That’s not what I’m saying.” Kara blurts, interrupting Lena mid rant to have one of her own. “I don’t want anyone hurting you because they can’t control themselves. I’m not telling you what to do, Lena. I’d never do that.”

 

“ _Can’t control themselves?_ ” With a sour laugh of disbelief, Lena lowers her head to stare down at her feet. 

 

Kara’s too close to her and the tension between them needs to break. Their desires are so palpable, but Lena’s holding out, fighting her libido and Kara on principle. “You should just claim me,” Lena shrilly exclaims. “You should just do it right now if you’re so concerned that someone else might beat you to it.”

 

Kara shakes her head, distraught by the conflict, and too upset to think before she speaks. “You know what? Yeah, I want you to be mine. I already told you that weeks ago. It’s not because I want to own you, Lena. It’s because I love you, but I’m not going to claim you when you’re only telling me to do it because you’re upset with me.”

 

“You _love_ me?” Lena asks in disbelief, not because Kara would lie about that, but because it’s always been a lie when her family has said it to her in the past. 

 

“Yes.” Kara stresses, the tension in her jaw slackening as she meets Lena’s gaze. “I mean, I’d hoped to tell you in a more romantic way and not mid fight but—” She shrugs haplessly and releases a heavy breath.

 

Softening over the declaration of love, Lena scrutinizes Kara with a tight squint of her eyes. 

 

Lena sees only honesty and goodness in front of her, and she suddenly regrets being so critical. “I’m sorry,” Lena sighs. “I shouldn’t have told you that you’re like every other alpha, because you’re not. It’s just hard for me to see you with anyone else. I’m _super_ sensitive right now.” 

 

“I’m sorry too.” Kara sincerely whispers, taking Lena’s hands in her own and squeezing them. “I get it, I do. Seeing you with other alphas, knowing they want you, knowing _what_ they want from you? It was torture.”

 

Lena nods in understanding and swallows, overwhelmed by the honesty of this discussion. 

 

It’s the perfect opportunity to talk about the pregnancy, but Lena hesitates to mention it after they’ve been arguing. “I’m frightened,” Lena admits and stands up. “I’m frightened about the future, Kara. There are so many unknowns ahead, and when I’m with you, it makes me feel safe.” 

 

Kara becomes serious as she stares into Lena’s eyes and vows firmly, “I will always keep you safe.” She wraps her arms around her again, nuzzling into the crook of Lena’s neck. “You smell so good.” She whispers against her skin, her lips grazing along Lena’s pulse point.

 

Those gentle attentions against Lena’s throat are enough to completely strip away any remaining reluctance. “So do you,” Lena rasps, voice scratching over the words. “I want you, Kara.”

 

“Close the door,” Lena mutters against a strand of blonde hair, and separates from Kara long enough for her to ensure their privacy. She bunches up the end of her dress and then slides her thong down, revealing the sticky arousal that has accumulated on that small scrap of fabric. 

 

“Let me sit in your lap,” Lena softly requests and begins rubbing Kara’s cock through the material of her pants. 

 

The noise of the zipper seems so loud in the quiet room, and Lena fumbles with the button before Kara sits. 

 

Lena slides into Kara’s lap, and they kiss until Kara’s hand smoothes up and along her thigh to play with her pussy. She arches back, gasping as Kara’s fingers slot into her tight entry. 

 

“Kara,” Lena groans, knees locking and loosening as she listens to the wet clicking of her body. “Tell me what you think about when you fantasize about sex. What do you want to do to me most?” 

 

Kara’s torn between watching her fingers and Lena’s face. She can see every flicker of emotion as she speeds up, but the sight of Lena’s pink slit glistening just for her leaves Kara delirious with desire. 

 

Plunging her fingers in and out, Kara relishes the sheer heat of Lena’s pussy and moans softly, “I think about how good you’ll look with the wind blowing through your hair when we’re _fluh_ -” 

 

Kara barely catches herself and stutters, “ _Uh,_ f—free to stand on a balcony. High above everything else, with the sun setting. I think it would be beautiful—”

 

Kara stops herself from rambling by kissing Lena. She curls her fingers to rub against the tantalizing spot inside of Lena and uses her thumb to circle her clit. “What do you think about?” she asks breathlessly.

 

Lena’s scarlet lipstick smudges all over Kara’s mouth and neck as she smothers her with hot kisses. “Everything,” she confesses. “Every sensual act I’ve ever heard described. I want to explore all of the many ways to give myself to you. I can’t stop thinking about mating, even when it’s inconvenient. My body needs the fulfillment of it.” Her skin blushes a deep red as she shifts, panting when she moves her dress out of the way and stands. 

 

There’s a rustle from Kara’s pocket as she retrieves a condom, and she tears it open to slip the latex over her thick length before beckoning Lena onto her lap. She carefully guides Lena down onto her cock and watches the slow spread of her excited pussy. 

 

Kara groans at the sensation of Lena’s liquid heat enveloping her, and her hips rise upwards before she can stop them. “ _Do you_ —” She whimpers, her hands clasping Lena’s waist to pull her fully onto her lap, sheathing herself completely inside Lena with a satisfied moan. “Do you touch yourself when it gets to be too much?” Kara’s voice is laced with lust, her tone syrupy as she rocks them in the seat. 

 

“When was the last time you did that?” Kara quizzes her, obviously enjoying the thought of it. “Did you think of me, Lena?”

 

“I _did,_ ” Lena divulges, far too impassioned to hold back or lie about what she does in private. 

 

“This afternoon, I went home and took my clothes off,” Lena continues.” I sprawled out in bed and fingered myself. It felt good, but this is the only way I can get any real relief. It’s so difficult right now. My heat won’t end and my hormones won’t let me rest. All I want to do is breed with you.” 

 

Breathless and sweating, Lena thrusts her pelvis down and curves her back. She takes deep strokes of Kara’s cock, stopping only when the blunt head meets resistance from her cervix. 

 

“This _afternoon._ ” Kara repeats with a desperate groan, her arousal causing her to roll her hips harder into Lena. Her hands tighten their grip, and one weaves between Lena’s thighs so her fingers can caress her slippery clit. “I’d have come over to help if I’d known.” She’s panting softly, her lips and teeth tasting the salty tang on Lena’s neck as she confesses, “I think about breeding you every day. When I’m studying, when I’m eating, when I try to sleep, you’re right there in my mind.”

 

Lena’s movements become more frantic and her eyes glaze with lust. She bounces, her small frame shaking as she chases release on Kara’s thick cock. 

 

The twist in Lena’s hair begins to unravel into curls, and still she rides until she’s sore from it, on the brink of pleasure, but reluctant for this to end. “Breed me,” she mindlessly blurts. “Please, Kara, I need it so badly. It’s just instinct. My whole being wants it.”

 

Lena’s pleading sets something off in Kara and she stands as the need to take Lena consumes her entirely. “I need it too.” Kara husks, her hands tucking under Lena’s thighs so she can pound into her as she holds her up. Every fast thrust slams her deeply into Lena’s sensitive opening, and she growls low in her throat at the new angle. “I can feel how close you are. You’re getting tighter.” 

 

The suspense breaks like a sheet of glass, shattering Lena’s resolve to pieces. She succumbs to her orgasm with throaty and loud moans as a flood of her juices covers Kara’s cock. 

 

The noisy and messy finish makes Lena’s cheeks flush. She scrapes her nails down Kara’s back in long, crooked scratches, all while her pussy throbs in ongoing spasm. “Kara,” she breathes. “Kara... I love you. I’m – _I’m_ –“

 

Several loud thumps against the door interrupts them, then there’s a yell of, “Whoever is in here has five seconds to open up or they’ll be used as my next specimen.”

 

Kara groans, but not from pleasure as their intimacy is ruined abruptly. “I love you.” She whispers, pulling out of Lena to lower her onto her feet with an apologetic furrow of her brow. 

 

Kara pulls the condom off and stuffs it into her pocket before concealing her very prominent erection back inside her pants. She aches with need, but the fear of them being caught keeps her focused as they fix their clothes.

 

“I’m _waiting._ ” The voice lilts, and Kara can’t help a panicked glance towards Lena as she hisses, “I think it’s Professor Grant.”

 

Waiting until Lena gives her a nod that she’s ready, Kara unlocks the door and pulls it open with a wide smile that does nothing to disguise her sweaty, red face.

 

“Kiera.” Professor Grant drawls, her eyes narrowing at the heavy scent in the air. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were—” She spies Lena hovering in the back near the chairs and quirks an eyebrow. “ _Avoiding the ball._ ” She finishes, with a look that says she knows exactly what they have been doing.

 

“We uh—well, _see,_ there was a fight,” Kara trips over her words in her rush, explaining herself the best she can while half hiding behind the door. “And so we — we thought it would be best to stay out of the way until everyone had cooled off.”

 

“Mh.” Professor Grant’s lips pucker, and she gives Kara a critical once over. “Well, you certainly don’t seem cooled off.”

 

“It’s a small room. There’s not much air.” Kara immediately states, her deadpan expression almost believable if not for the nervousness that tugs at her mouth.

 

Lena seems too mortified to move, but then she pulls on a diplomatic smile. She gracefully slides between Kara and Professor Grant. “Kara, it’s okay to tell the truth,” she insists with sincerity in her voice. “Kara was just comforting me because I’ve been upset. It isn’t easy to deal with all of the rumors people are spreading about my personal life, and I had a bit of a breakdown. But I feel much better now.” 

 

Professor Grant inhales, her eyes sharp as she takes in their disheveled appearances. She decides quickly that they’re both ridiculous and snaps, “Miss Luthor, there’s a bathroom down the hall. I suggest you fix your hair and lipstick before returning to the ball.”

 

She flicks her gaze towards Kara and lifts her chin with a scrutinizing stare, “Kiera,” Professor Grant asserts coolly, “Straighten your tie and wash your face before that sweat soaks into your shirt. I expect to see you both in the main hall in exactly one minute. This is a fundraiser after all.” She doesn’t wait for an answer and walks off with a shake of her head.

 

“Well that could have been worse.” Kara reasons weakly, and swallows in a tiny gulp as she holds the door open for Lena. “You should go first. I’ll uh—see you back at the ball?”

 

Lena’s face hardens and she bows her head, determined not to appear vulnerable. “Okay,” she murmurs. “See you there.” She speeds down the hall to the bathroom and fixes her hair and lipstick, then covers herself in perfume to mask the aroma of sex. It takes all of her concentration to put on an act when she returns to the ball room. Her courage only wavers when she notices Professor Grant glaring at her, but she refuses to be flustered and struts through the crowd. 

 

If her scent attracted alphas before, it’s even worse now with the amount of wetness in Lena’s panties. The perfume proves less effective than she hopes, and Alex seems to notice right away, if the alarm in her eyes is anything to go by. 

 

“You need to get out of here,” Alex warns as she dashes over to Lena’s side. “I don’t think you realize how potent your scent is right now. It’s strong enough to set off several alpha ruts.”

 

“I can’t leave,” Lena laughs, incredulous about the potential threat. She walks towards the refreshment table with Alex following close behind. “This is _my_ event. Besides, I haven’t gotten to dance with everyone I wanted to—” She bites down on her bottom lip and swings around to give a smoldering look to Kara, who has just stepped back out onto the dance floor. 

 

Kara meets her gaze with an intensity that threatens to become obscene as she stalks forward through the crowd. It’s like a rising wave, the way the room surges and lurches as everyone’s attention shifts from each other to land on Lena.

 

The weight of their desires is cloying as Kara navigates through them, a shark cutting through the current in pursuit of what she wants. Kara’s so enraptured by Lena that she doesn’t see the way Alex barrels through the crowd until she’s shoving against her.

 

“Whatever idea you have in your head, you better change it.” Alex hisses under her breath. “We need to get Lena out of here or there’s going to be a frenzy, Kara. Her heat is powerful. She could send every alpha in this room into a rut.”

 

It’s the panic in Alex’s voice that finally sinks in, and Kara’s lips pull back in the beginning of a snarl. “They can’t have her.” She darkly insists, her eyes and jaw hard as marble, but her gaze is still locked with Lena’s.

 

“Can you hear yourself?” Alex bites out quietly. “We need to get her out of here or all hell will break loose. You’re being reckless. It’s not like you.” The realization sparks a deeper frown on Alex’s face and it dawns on her suddenly, “You need your suppressors.”

 

“What I need is for you to back off,” Kara’s tone is aggressive, and she adds almost flippantly, “I’m fine, Alex. I just want one dance, okay?”

 

Lena’s alluring smile grows with every step Kara takes. The chemicals in her body have a forceful drive, making her headstrong and blind to the dangers around her. She practically swoons, her knees buckling from the urgent desire to continue what she just started with Kara. 

 

All too eager, Lena meets Kara halfway across the dance floor, unaware of how her scent spreads like blood in deep water. It invites attack from all sides, with ravenous alphas encircling her. 

 

“Please dance with me?” Lena begs, seductive as she licks her lip and places her hands on Kara’s shoulders. 

 

“I’ve been waiting to do that all night.” Kara answers, as automatic as the primal responses of her body in such close proximity to Lena. She slips her hands over the soft fabric of Lena’s gown and down, to settle possessively on her hips as she reels her in close.

 

They move as one, to the beat of their hearts, at odds with the music, eyes burning with desires their tongues can’t vocalize in such a public setting. They swirl and sway in place while everyone encroaches upon them.

 

A stray hand lands on Kara’s arm, then someone pushes her from the side as pleas are given like bouquets for Lena’s attention. 

 

Kara growls in the back of her throat, shrugging them off as the energy from the group threatens to engulf them.

 

“It’s just a dance, Lena, pick me!” cries a voice behind Kara.

 

“Come on.” Someone else grunts, his tone deep as he complains. “You’ve danced with everyone else.”

 

“Stop being a tease,” spits another, her anger manifesting from the pull of Lena’s heat.

 

A growing aggression dominoes through them, picking up speed as a guy hisses acerbically, “You don’t have to be such a _bitch._ ”

 

“She’s getting off on the attention,” accuses another scornfully, jaded from his perceived rejections.

 

“What a sl--”

 

“Shut up!” Kara snarls, and throws her elbow back to collide with his jaw before he can utter the rest.

 

It’s Alex’s quick thinking that saves them, as she reaches the fire alarm and pulls the tab just in time. Sprinklers burst from the ceiling, dousing them all in seconds.

 

Lena huddles against Kara as they both get soaked from head to toe. Absolute chaos ensues as the rest of the students run to the exits. The faculty try to control the stampede. 

 

Together, Lena and Kara are both pushed towards the double doors at the front of the ball room. 

 

Lena’s frightened to see that alphas are still glaring at her in either clear longing or hatred. “I don’t think I can stay here,” she mutters, at last recognizing the peril she’s in and the defensive way Kara cracks her knuckles. 

 

“Please, I don’t want you want you fighting over me,” Lena whispers. “I’m just going to call it a night.” 

 

Kara stares at the rowdy crowd but she controls herself at Lena’s wishes and turns to her entirely. “Let us walk you home.” She suggests, as Alex and Sam hurry over to ensure Lena’s safe.

 

“Are you alright?” Sam blurts, her worry written all over her face as she wraps her arms around Lena. 

 

Lena clings to Sam, too overcome with emotion to speak. Alphas are still shouting, aggressive and lewd ideas of what they would like to do to her, but the faculty have put up a barrier between the groups of students. 

 

“Things have gotten way out of control,” Sam frowns. 

 

“No shit.” Alex grunts, but her anger is directed towards her sister as she pins Kara with an accusatory look. “We should leave, and let the faculty deal with this mess.”

 

Kara’s mouth tightens at Alex’s judgement and then she juts her chin out stubbornly. “I’m going to walk Lena back to her dorm,” she insists.

 

“You’re all going to go back to your own rooms.” Professor Grant’s voice cuts through the tension and she steps forward with an authoritative rumble. “I’ll walk Miss Luthor home.”

 

“But—” Kara fumbles, unwilling to leave Lena’s side for a second. “There’s safety in numbers.”

 

“Which is why you three can walk together.” Professor Grant’s tone holds no room for arguing and she narrows her eyes at them. “Rooms. Now.”

 

Kara’s gaze lingers on Lena, and then she reluctantly walks off with Sam and Alex.

 

Lena plants her feet and watches in misery while all of her friends leave.

 

“You. _Move._ ” Professor Grant instructs as she leads Lena down the path towards her dorm. Her silence only lasts until they are completely alone, and then she begins sternly, “Shame, like worry, is a wasted emotion, Miss Luthor. Now, I can’t tell you what to do, but I will say that wallowing over your choices is no way to live. I’ve learned that through hard experience. We both know heats that last as long as yours only happen for one reason. _Now,_ your decisions are your own—“

 

Lena pales over the lecture, and she opens her mouth to speak, too infuriated and not calculating enough when it comes to her self-defense. “ _My decisions are my own?_ ” she scoffs. “I didn’t decide to be an omega. I didn’t decide to be a Luthor. I can assure you I’m not wallowing in self-pity, either. All I want is to finish this school year without harassment. That is the one option that I have, because anything else would put another person at risk. My older brother still observes the courtship rules, and views it as his duty to choose an alpha for me. He won’t look kindly upon anyone who ruins his plan for my life—“

 

She regrets bringing Lex into this, and saying too much about her personal situation in a moment of anger. 

 

“Your brother expects to decide who you will spend the rest of your life with?” Professor Grant asks in a calmer, almost gentle tone. It’s a deception that hides her rage. “Miss Luthor, that violates several state and federal laws.”

 

“But it’s practically impossible to prosecute someone who breaks those laws,” Lena grunts out, moving faster over the gravel paths to reach her sorority house. “No one gives a damn about what omegas want. And if anyone has experience with breaking laws, and finding a way out of it through arbitration, it’s my brother Lex. If arbitration doesn’t work, he resorts to other means. Bribes, murder. Everyone in this city knows what type of man he is, and my only hope of dealing with him is to make my own way in the world. Once I finish my education, I can do that. _I will do it._ ”

 

Professor Grant has a new respect for Lena, and it shows in her eyes, despite the blunt way she speaks. “You _aren’t_ going to graduate if this continues,” she remarks. “There are alphas that will hurt you because of your current scent profile. The fact that you’re unclaimed and newly pregnant sends out a signal to Alphas. It tells them that you’re ready to give them children if they just mate with you, again and again, until you lose their competitor’s offspring. This isn’t a scare tactic meant to persuade you. It’s a fact of our biology. Meanwhile, your body is also crying out for a connection you lack. On a deeper and primal level, you long for an alpha, even if your very sophisticated human brain has no interest in settling down so soon.” 

 

Lena comes to a stop in the trees outside her building and hangs her head as she listens to Professor Grant. “I know all of this,” Lena asserts. “I’ll take precautions. Obviously I shouldn't use hormone suppressors now that I'm pregnant. But I can still use scent suppressors. The side effects make my own heat symptoms worse, and for some reason they haven’t really worked so far, but I’m _sure_ once I get the dosage right—“

 

“You won’t get it right,” Professor Grant argues, sticking her hands into her jacket to avoid the cold. “I’ve spent my entire career investigating scent profiles. Case study after case study. Trust me.” She seems completely certain, and Lena falters where she stands. 

 

“I don’t know what to do, then,” Lena quietly admits, and she tenses as she hears the hollers of other students, loud and rambunctious for this time of night. 

 

“Chin up. Never walk around with your head down. At all times, carry mace with you, and a possession that you can turn into a weapon if necessary,” Professor Grant advises, and her lips form a solemn line. “I’ll see what more I can do for you. Perhaps I can identify a suppressor that will be more effective. In the meantime, if you require help, you come to me. Especially where it concerns anyone trying to infringe on your personal rights. Do you understand?” 

 

Lena’s eyebrows raise in surprise and she nods, then staggers away, too shaken up to even say thank you. She retreats to her bedroom and locks the door, then peers out the window just in time to see a strange event: Supergirl approaches Professor Grant, who shakes her head. 

 

Supergirl then shoots a glance in her direction and Lena ducks out of sight. 

 

It’s obvious the violence on campus has escalated to warrant Supergirl’s intervention. Lena curls into a ball and holds her knees, trying not to give into guilt and fear. 

 

The next time Lena looks outside, the paths are empty, save for a few of her sorority sisters that are beginning to return home. 

 

She crawls into her bed just as a knock comes at her window. 

 

As Lena opens it for Kara, she notices the smell of her right away: so powerful that she folds at the waist, unable to stand. 

 

This isn’t a rut, but it feels like one to Lena, except maybe stronger — and her senses are instantly taken over by it. She tries to slip her dress off her shoulders, but Kara does it for her, unhooking her bra to squeeze roughly at both of her breasts. 

 

“I was so worried about you.” Kara husks against Lena’s neck, her hands pushing the rest of the dress off of her lithe frame. “Are you okay?” She asks, and her teeth graze over Lena’s shoulder, not biting, but with a primal desire that brings a fire to their mating that hadn’t been there before.

 

Kara’s fast as she removes her own clothes, precise in how she wraps her erection in a condom that seems to come from nowhere. She moves with a speed that seems unnatural for someone so clumsy, but the second her hands are on Lena she’s spinning her around, bending her over the bed frame with a low rumble of, “I need you so badly.”

 

The tip of Kara’s cock feels rigid between Lena’s soft and swollen pussy lips. Lena is so warm and wet and ready to take her, and Kara can’t resist. She thrusts powerfully, sliding into the depths of Lena’s velvety heat with a groan so guttural it’s almost animal. “ _Lena_ …” Kara husks, her hands like vices as she grips Lena’s hips to pull her ass back into every urgent stroke as she slams herself home inside her.

 

Lena’s flexible enough to stretch her neck back and bow her spine. The exquisite contortion lets Kara bury her face in her long dark hair while pumping into her with dominant force. Her breasts sway from the motion of their bodies, the deep entanglement of Kara’s cock inside her slick pussy. She can barely grate out the syllables of Kara’s name, “Kuh - kah - _Kara_ ," she groans. "Give me everything, all night. I _need_ this too. I need _you_. Please, don't stop—"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are SO appreciated if you enjoyed the chapter. :)


	4. Chapter 4

By morning light, clothes and sheets are strewn over the floor of Lena's bedroom. Pillows, papers, notebooks and empty condom wrappers cover surfaces they shouldn't. 

 

The state of the place is enough to compromise them all on its own, but amongst the wreckage, Kara still watches Lena sleep. 

 

Kara seems blissfully content with her arms around Lena and nuzzles into her with the softest of sighs.

 

“You almost claimed me last night,” Lena mutters in a groggy but curious tone of voice. “ _Three times._ ” She loosens her hold on her pillow and turns towards Kara. Squinting from the sunlight, she reaches out to touch Kara’s wrist with light fingertips. It evokes tingles in their skin, and Lena shifts in bed until Kara’s hand rests against her bare stomach. 

 

“You were keeping track?” Kara’s laugh is soft and shy as she coils around Lena more fully. There’s a building need within Kara that’s getting increasingly difficult to deny. It shows on her face and in the way she touches Lena. “I swear, I won’t do that until you’re ready.” 

 

Lena falls silent and reflective, her chin tensing while her eyes sweep over Kara’s lips in consideration. “I know,” she whispers. “I do feel ready, but it’s better that we wait, for your sake and for mine.” She hears a faint rumble of hunger coming from her body and frowns. “I think we slept through breakfast. Should we text Alex and Sam and see if they want to meet us for lunch? I owe your sister an apology.” 

 

Kara’s face falls and she winces at the mention of her sister. “Alex,” she sighs. “I owe her an apology too. You should text them and I’ll — uh— ” She looks at the carnage of the room and bites her lip. “I’ll clean up the mess. You should also keep your window open for a little while,” Kara suggests, bashful as she mumbles, “to air the room out.”

 

Lena drapes a blanket around her shoulders and rises from bed to pry open the window. She sends a text to their friends and sits down in her desk chair. 

 

If all goes according to plan, she will spend the entire day with Kara. It seems like an ideal way to tell Kara about the pregnancy — to make it a special and hopefully memorable moment for both of them. 

 

Lena feels optimistic and happy until her throat burns with acid. All of the oncoming signs of morning sickness force her to consider a fast change of plans. 

 

“On second thought, why don’t you go grab some take-out and come back?” Lena asks, determined to get rid of Kara before her nausea makes her retch. 

 

After such an intense night of lovemaking, the last thing Lena wants is for Kara to witness her new daily ritual. “I’ll just freshen up, clean the room, and I’ll tell Alex and Sam to meet us here. We can eat, and then maybe we’ll go out tonight — "

 

Lena tilts her head back in distress as a spasm in her stomach warns her to get up. She casually wanders to her closet and selects a dress from a hanger. As she pulls her sleeves into place and combs her hair, she spins around to glance at Kara in the hopes that she’s ready to leave. “I’m _really_ hungry,” Lena emphasizes, pouting in a last ditch effort to get Kara out of her bedroom. 

 

Kara’s already dressed, and pauses in the middle of her clean up with a soft, “ _Oh,_ okay then, I’ll just take this to the trash and I’ll be back in about half an hour or so?” 

 

Kara stuffs the empty condom wrappers into her pockets and sets a stack of Lena’s books back on her desk, then kisses Lena goodbye and climbs through the window.

 

Lena ducks into the bathroom and lunges over the toilet, heaving until she’s red in the face and sweating. The veins near her temple stick out from the strain of vomiting. She sinks onto the tile and lays her arms over the seat, hanging her head as she continues to cough. Her sick still lingers at the back of her throat and nostrils, and her vision fades dark when she tries to sit up. “Listen, you,” she scolds, talking to the new life within her belly for the first time. “I need a little break today.” 

 

It’s absurd to speak to a bundle of cells no larger than a seed, but Lena finds it more comforting than she ever imagined. “Please,” she mutters. “Just a few more hours and I promise I will tell your other parent about you.” She’s too worn out to stand, so she leans into the wall and shuts her eyes for a few seconds that stretch into minutes. 

 

Losing track of time, Lena dozes off with her head pressed against her knees. She stirs when she hears Kara rattling around in the bedroom. “I’ll be right out!” Lena calls and grabs for a bottle of air freshener. 

 

Filling the confined space with aerosol spray, Lena coughs and sputters. She emerges from the bathroom and takes in the sight of all of the take-away cartons Kara’s arranging on her desk. 

 

It’s an irony of pregnancy that Lena’s starving all of the time and only half of what she eats actually remains down. She delights in the options Kara’s chosen in spite of knowing what it will do to her later. “What, did you stop at every local restaurant?” Lena laughs. “This is too much for five—I mean, _four_ people.” 

 

“Trust me, I can eat like, half of this.” Kara laughs and finally takes in the disastrous state of the room. Her forehead creases with worry lines as she asks softly, “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Lena assures her and drops her hands at her sides, attempting to appear stronger. “Just a little upset about how the charity event turned out.” It’s not exactly a lie, but it’s definitely a partial truth. 

 

Kara hurries to scoop up Lena’s books and notes, and she manages to fix the bed and sort the sheets just before there’s a knock at the door. “You – you get that. I’ll get all of this.” Kara insists, straightening the desk and grabbing Lena’s dress from the night before. She stuffs it into the wardrobe haphazardly.

 

Lena hesitates, open-mouthed while she watches Kara frantically deal with their mess. She chooses not to explain why she failed to tidy up, and instead runs over to open the door. 

 

Things look more or less fine, but Kara opens the window further and starts opening up containers of food. Lena hopes it will mask the lingering heady scent of how they spent the night.

 

Sam is the first into the room, although she comes to a sudden stop as she gets a whiff of the air. 

 

Alex shoves Sam inside and practically slams the door behind them, then tries to shrug it off as she locks eyes with Kara. 

 

“Is this your way of telling me and Alex that you’re dating?” Sam blurts out and steps towards the food, unfazed after the initial shock. She snorts out a soft laugh, picks at the food and then turns to Kara. “I’m not complaining. But I have to say, I never expected Lena to get laid. Not for a long time.”

 

“Sam,” Lena snaps, and her eyebrows scrunch together critically until she softens. “Okay, so it’s possible that Kara and I have been secretly seeing one other.” 

 

“Seeing each other naked, you mean,” Sam amends and pops an olive into her mouth, which she pulls off a toothpick that’s stuck into the top of a sandwich. “ _A whole lot._ Judging by the smell of things.”

 

Alex is torn between smirking at Sam and shooting a disapproving look towards Kara.

 

Nervous laughter forces its way out of Kara in short bursts of panic and she looks towards Lena, then Alex, before finally meeting Sam’s curious gaze. “That’s funny, you’re - you’re funny.” Kara stutters, her face reddening as she blurts, “We uh — we’re sorry we missed breakfast.” Kara rushes, as she thrusts a take-out container into Alex’s hands.

 

“I think we’ve established why.” Alex curtly reasons, her eyes taking in the details of Lena’s room. “If you’re planning to keep this a secret you guys might want to invest in better scent maskers.” She stares at Lena and adds, “Just saying.”

 

“Great. Thanks. We’ll get some.” Kara grunts anxiously, and before Sam can say another smart thing, she pushes a drink into her hand and then turns to Lena. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I got a selection.” There’s salads and subs, and noodles and sushi, and two bags of pot stickers that Kara grabs for herself before anyone else takes them.

 

Lena stares at the pot stickers in clear longing, but she drags her eyes away. Careless in her hunger, she fills her entire plate with both hands and drops down at the end of her bed to eat. She feels strangely emotional as she bites into a piece of vegetable sushi. The urge to cry comes on in a sudden and extreme way. There’s no immediate reason for it, but the stress of the last few weeks must be at last manifesting, because she’s sniffling over her lunch. 

 

Sam makes herself comfortable on the carpet with her sub sandwich and chips. She rolls up her sleeves and digs into her meal, tapping her foot on the floor while she munches. “So how long has this been going on?” she asks, her voice growing quieter as she realizes Lena’s upset. 

 

Alex settles down next to her and devours half of her sushi before she notices Sam’s focused on Lena and _why._

 

“Share your pot stickers,” Lena tearfully demands and rips the carton right out of Kara’s hand, just as Kara’s about to stuff another into her open mouth. 

 

“Hey _that’s_ —” 

 

Kara begins to protest, but the moment she sees Lena’s holding back tears, she changes the words before they come out of her mouth. “A _great idea,_ ” She amends softly, helplessly looking at Alex for guidance. “Do you want a soda?” She asks Lena, though she’s already grabbed one as an excuse to hand her a bunch of napkins with it.

 

“Why don’t we put some music on?” Alex suggests as Kara flounders over what to do.

 

“Right, yes, let me _just_ —” Kara leans over the bed to get to the iPad, and she selects Lena’s ambient playlist to fill the awkwardness of the room.

 

“So rumor has it that Maxwell Lord left with a pledge last night.” Sam casually states, and it’s clear she’s trying to deflect attention from Lena, who would be very uncomfortable if anyone pointed out her distress.

 

Alex snorts, “Why doesn’t that surprise me? He’d take anything with a pulse.”

 

“Believe it or not, he was actually very respectful last night,” Lena admits. “He even complimented me.” The pot stickers seem to brighten her mood a bit and she relishes every mouthful, moaning to the point that she has to bite her own lip. She passes the empty carton back to Kara and grabs for a box of noodles. 

 

“Oh,” Kara pouts, and it’s remarkable how one soft noise can carry such a huge amount of jealousy. She sits the empty box aside and reaches for her own noodles.

 

Alex watches them both with interest, since no one ever matches Kara’s appetite, and it’s startling to see Lena challenge her speed. 

 

“Are you guys training for an eating contest or something?” Sam jokes and raises her eyebrow at Lena, whose mouth is filled with noodles. “Guess those must be good.” 

 

“Yeah, slow down there buddy, before you choke.” Alex pipes up, and nudges Kara’s foot with her own to snap her out of her jealous thoughts.

 

“Then again, you guys are probably starving after that marathon you ran last night between the sheets.” Sam’s grinning into her sandwich as she speaks, and Kara almost inhales one of her chopsticks.

 

“ _Exactly,_ and we need to re-fuel for later,” Lena replies with a bland and serious smile, which somehow becomes both mysterious and disarming the more it lingers. 

 

It perks Sam up, and her eyes widen at Lena’s willingness to discuss her relationship with Kara so openly. “Wait, you don’t normally do girl talk,” Sam blinks. “What’s going on with you? What have you done with Lena Kieran Luthor?” 

 

“I’m right here,” Lena states, her smile thinning at the accusation, and she glances at Kara in case she seems just as curious as Sam. “I’m just tired of being such a private person all of the time. I should be able to confide in my best friends once in a while.” 

 

Sam clutches at her heart dramatically and pretends like an earthquake is shaking the building. “Did you all feel that? Was it just me? I am _shook_ by what I’m hearing right now. Go on, Lena. Please tell us more.”

 

Lena rolls her eyes, in spite of how Sam’s ridiculous behavior makes her grin. “It just feels nice to acknowledge our relationship out loud,” she explains. “Last night, it might have bothered me a _little bit_ to see Kara dancing with other people—”

 

“A little bit?” Alex snorts, shooting Lena an incredulous look. “Oh please, I distinctly recall you-” She wavers at the way Kara stares at her, though she’s eager to find out all the details she’s missing. “ _Revenge dancing._ ” Alex finally supplies, her face straight as she tries to make it sound convincing. “You know, with that guy, in the suit—”

 

Kara’s scarlet from the conversation about their intimacy, and she shifts on the bed and hunches towards her plate, which now has a sandwich on it. Her lips part in confusion as she speaks, “But they were all in suits. I was in a suit. That’s… the point of a ball. Besides, I — I danced with people too, because I couldn’t dance with Lena.”

 

“Well, you waited long enough that it started a full on mob.” Sam’s quick to say, and she squints at them both suspiciously. “Wait, the way everyone reacted. . . oh my god, did you two—”

 

“Get to safety when it all went wild? We sure did!” Kara blurts, trying to halt Sam’s questioning before it goes further. She takes Lena’s hand and squeezes it gently as her face burns.

 

Lena shows solidarity and keeps her mouth shut this time. She tightens her hold on Kara with one hand and pats her knee with the other. “So I was thinking we should all go out today and celebrate,” she suddenly interrupts. 

 

“What are we celebrating?” Sam asks, and shifts around to stretch her legs rather than continue to sit cross-legged. “The fact that you finally acted on your feelings for Kara?”

 

“No,” Lena softly growls through her teeth, then stalls as her brows come together, making her frown seem more severe. “Um,” she deliberates. “The weekend? I rarely ever go out. I thought maybe we could see a movie and have dinner at a restaurant in the city—"

 

“Why don’t we go to that new club that’s just opened up?” Sam pleads, clasping both hands together and folding down her bottom lip in a fake pout. “Pink Paradise.”

 

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” Alex cuts in, wary enough that she stares dead ahead at Lena’s stomach. 

 

“Yeah, I think after last night we --uh-- we should wait until Lena’s heat has died down before we go to any clubs.” Kara’s voice is soft and she ducks her head as she glances at Lena. “I think a movie sounds good.”

 

Sam sighs heavily at their opposition and then groans. “You’re all so boring, how are we even friends? Come on, who wants to sit around eating popcorn when we could be doing something.”

 

“Doing what?” Alex asks skeptically, side eyeing Lena in concern. “I’ve had enough alcohol for a month. Maxwell spiked the punch with so much scotch that I think I’m still tipsy.” 

 

“We could do anything! You heard Lena. This is the first weekend she’s not forcing us to study with her. We gotta get a little crazy.” Sam grins and abandons her food to squeeze onto the bed next to Lena with enthusiasm. “You need it. Admit it.” 

 

Lena’s conversation with Professor Grant comes to mind and she’s prepared to disappoint Sam – she _really_ is, but she also feels a nagging desire to show Kara a good time. 

 

Instead of turning Sam down, Lena searches through her bedside drawer for a bottle of scent suppressors. “No one has to know how strong my heat really is,” Lena reasons, and begins dumping pills into her hand while she peers over at Kara. “Look, last night was a total disaster and we hardly got to dance. If we go to a club where no one knows us, we can dance together all night long.” 

 

Sam hops up from the bed and whistles in excitement, as if Lena’s vote decides the final outcome. 

 

“This is a bad idea,” Alex complains and kicks Kara more forcefully than usual for back-up. “You’ve used suppressors before, Lena. They haven’t done much to help.” 

 

“Aah-lex has a point.” Kara chimes in, wincing at her sister with a wounded frown. “Maybe we should consider our options? Bowling could be fun.” She throws the idea out there to placate Alex, but Sam laughs.

 

All Lena can think about is how much she wants to share a special night out with Kara before announcing her pregnancy. She imagines whispering in Kara’s ear while they sway on the dance floor. It strikes her how few opportunities she will have to make these memories with Kara before her body begins to change. 

 

“I want to go to the club. I’ll just be cautious,” Lena promises, softening under Alex’s reproachful glare. “Look, I’m so sorry about last night, Alex. I owe you an apology. That’s actually the reason I texted you earlier. I didn’t mean for the charity ball to end the way that it did. I swear, I will listen to you the next time you warn us, and I _completely_ understand why you might not want to go out tonight. But I hope you’ll change your mind, because we won’t always be able to go out dancing whenever we feel like it. We’re all going to have to grow up--” 

 

Alex’s sympathy is hard to earn, but Lena’s eyes glisten and Alex sighs in defeat. 

 

“Kara, what do you think?” Alex asks in a neutral tone, even as she silently conveys a message: _Please, for the love of Rao, talk some sense into your girlfriend._

 

“I uh, I think—” Kara bites her lip, squirming in place as she juggles the idea of playing it safe. 

 

The longing in Lena’s eyes is so deep Kara could swim in it. “I think we deserve a night out off campus where we can be free to have fun without judgment,” she decides.

 

Alex visibly sags before she catches herself. “Sounds like fun.” She relents, though her expression shows how much she’s not into the plan.

 

It’s enough of a win for Sam, and she bumps her shoulder against Alex and lets out a whoop of joy. “C’mon Danvers, we both know you’ll kill it on the dance floor, and if we hate the place we can always find a karaoke bar.”

 

Kara’s eyes brighten at that, and she grins at Lena with an almost childlike excitement. “Either way we’re gonna have a good time,” she declares enthusiastically.

 

Lena throws her arms around Kara in clear delight, and then Sam extends her hand as if asking Lena to dance, but the two of them go over to the closet to choose wardrobe options for their night out. 

 

Alex shifts into the vacant spot on the bed and rubs at the fade in her hair. “You just made Lena very happy, but I’m probably going to carry a concealed weapon,” she admits. “Just a small one. J'onn gave it to me for my birthday. What better occasion to try it out than this spur-of-the-moment and most likely dangerous celebration?” 

 

“Dangerous?” Kara laughs. “Alex, it’s just a night out. We’re not going to get into trouble and if we do, I can just…” She glances towards Sam and Lena then slumps, her face a mask of contrition as she mumbles, “Okay, bring the weapon, but don’t just use it over the slightest annoyance.”

 

“I won’t.” Elbowing into Kara, Alex drops her voice low and stares into her sister’s eyes. “Listen, I think you might need to tell Lena a little bit more about your medical history. I have a theory that it could cause some kind of interference with her scent suppressors.” 

 

Kara’s eyes look everywhere but at Alex and she swallows thickly. “I-I was gonna tell her but then I backed down because what if she—” Kara’s breaths are short as she spins to face her sister, her quiet panic manifesting in her agitation as she hisses under her breath, “You’ve always told me to keep who I am a secret, and now that I finally want to tell someone, I-I’m—”

 

“Scared?” Alex hazards a guess, her face kind as she watches the emotions on Kara’s face.

 

“Terrified.” Kara supplies quietly, “What if she hates me? What if — what if she doesn’t talk to me again, or — or someone else hurts her because of who I am? What if Lex finds out and uses it against her? What if she thinks I’m only with her because he’s my enemy? What if she thinks that _I think_ she’s like him?”

 

“Whoa, okay just…” Alex recoils and nervously glances towards Sam and Lena, who are not only oblivious to their whisperings, but having a fashion show all of their own. “Kara, just breathe. It’s going to be okay.”

 

“How can you say that?” Kara whines. “What if it isn’t?”

 

“What are you two whispering about over here?” Lena asks, tuning into their quiet chat when she strides across the bedroom to share her look with Kara: a high-necked and backless silver dress, which shows off her shoulder blades. 

 

“I was just reassuring Kara that you won’t break up with her if she tells you about the weird foot fungus she had last year,” Alex replies, quick-witted and opportunistic when it comes to embarrassing Kara, but also when it comes to deflecting from the truth and saving her ass. 

 

“Oh,” Lena blinks and chuckles at the strange topic, then slides her manicured finger under Kara’s chin. “I think it’s safe to say that no matter what you confide in me, I’m not going anywhere.” 

 

Kara's heart flutters at Lena's declaration and she gapes at her dress with clear and obvious arousal. "You look--"

 

"Like a million bucks." Sam cuts in proudly, her enthusiasm filling the whole room. "So that's one down, just two to go." 

 

"Nope. No. There's no way." Alex vehemently states, waving her hands in front of her like a warning signal. "I'll pick my own outfit for tonight."

 

"If it's all black and doubles as armor, it's not an outfit for dancing in," Sam huffs in exasperation, and gestures to Alex’s current clothing. 

 

“I like what I’m wearing,” Alex complains and holds out her arms to glance at her zippered jacket. “It makes it easier to train for ROTC.”

 

Sam sighs wearily, but then a smile twists on her lips and she turns her attention to Kara expectantly. "What do you say Kara, wanna play dress up?" she teases. 

 

"Oh I—I dunno, Sam..." Kara hesitates, nibbling her bottom lip in uncertainty as she looks towards Lena for help.

 

It's Alex that rescues her as she snags Kara by the elbow and pulls her to her feet. "I’ll get her ready while you two do your make-up… or whatever it is you’re gonna do. Besides, we're in the same dorm and it saves you the hassle of coming over."

 

"Yes, that!" Kara nods with a sigh of relief. She turns to Lena and offers her a dopey, love-sick smile that's oddly endearing on her face. "We'll come and get you when we're ready tonight,” she promises.

 

Sam sulks and crosses her arms as if she’s on the verge of coming up with another solution.

 

“Her room is a pig sty.” Alex elaborates, coming to her sister’s rescue before she combusts on the spot. “Look, why don’t you two have fun doing your thing, and I’ll take Kara so we can do ours. It’ll stop Kara from having a heart attack, because she would if you saw her pile of dirty laundry.”

 

Kara’s grateful for the help but she flashes a look of betrayal Alex’s way for the excuses she’s using.

 

“Okay great,” Alex says before anyone else can challenge her plan. She’s already grabbing Kara by the elbow and dragging her out of the room as she yells, “We’ll see you guys in a couple hours.”

 

“Seriously? Foot fungus and dirty laundry?” Kara sputters incredulously once they are out of the dorm. “She’s going to think I’m a mess.” Kara groans, shoving Alex with a little more strength than usual.

 

“Hey in my defense, you are a mess.” Alex laughs, and shoves Kara back with a glint in her eyes. “First one back to your room chooses our outfits, and no cheating!” She laughs, sprinting off before Kara can catch her.

 

“That is cheating!” Kara shouts, aware that people are watching her as she runs after her sister.

 

Several hours later when they’ve stopped fighting over who should wear what, Kara knocks on Lena’s door and smooths down her shirt. She hastily tucks it into her tight jeans and nudges Alex when she scoffs at her. “I wanted to look smart.” She insists coolly, and touches her hair which is clipped back from her face.

 

“You look like an intern.” Alex teases, and motions to her own attire with a lazy smile. “I at least look like I’m going to a club.” She’s wearing a tight fitting purple top with black trousers and knee high boots to match, and her make-up is flawlessly intense.

 

“You look like a grape that lost a fight.” Kara slings back childishly seconds before the door swings open.

 

Sam greets them in a neon dress that reveals a glimpse of her midriff and coordinates with the flecks of black-light body paint that cover her arms. “Wow, you Danvers ladies really do know how to clean up well,” she grins. “I mean, I wasn’t sure if last night was an anomaly. Lena’s in the bathro—”

 

Lena clears her throat and poses in a different backless gown, which clings and gives her far more cleavage, and also tapers higher up on the thigh. Her stiletto heels strap at the ankles, and accentuate the shape of legs when she prowls towards Kara. Smoky, grey and black eye shadow contrast with her skin and her mouth looks bruised, a dark purple-red shade that goes with her new dress. Her hair has been left down and flowing over her shoulders. She slides her arm into Kara’s before thinking better of it. Then she drinks in the sight of Kara’s practical blue button-up, jeans and her suit jacket with leather arms. “You look like you’re ready for a job interview,” Lena chuckles. “And yet _very_ debonair. I would definitely hire you to work for me—”

 

“Oh, girl, she already ‘works’ for you,” Sam mutters, taking pride in her joke and laughing while slapping Alex on the arm. 

 

Alex covers her laugh with a fake cough, and presses the back of her hand against her mouth to stifle another at Kara’s scandalous look. “On the bright side,” She reasons softly, trying to keep her face straight. “At least you know what to wear when you want to apply for--”

 

“Is it really that bad?” Kara’s face crumbles as she glances down at herself and then at the three of them. She sees it now, and sighs out dramatically, “Yup, I look like the designated driver.” Rather than cave into a bad mood, she doubles down on her cheer and shrugs it off with a laugh. “Alright ladies, let’s hit the town before someone mistakes me for one of the TA’s.”

 

“Next time, we’re letting Sam help you.” Alex asserts, and goes so far as to high five Sam, who lets out a cackle behind them. “You look repressed standing next to us. Everyone’s going to think you’re Lena’s personal assistant.” It’s a playful taunt but one that Alex delivers with a dead pan style that has Kara aghast.

 

“Shut up.” Kara hisses, elbowing by Alex as she takes it upon herself to lead them out of the dorm. “Let’s go, because now I definitely need a drink.”

 

Alex phones for an uber, and they all pack themselves into the back seat of a suburban that pulls up. 

 

The club proves to be further away than Sam claimed, but Lena pays the extra fare and they all line up at the door to Pink Paradise. 

 

The bouncer waves them on in after taking a gander at the whole group and checking their identification. 

 

The pulse of the music can be felt on the street. The strobe lights and restless crowd pull them right into the dancing. 

 

“The bar is over here,” Sam points, and she ventures out first with everyone following her in a small group. 

 

“Alex will order for us,” Lena calls out and sets her sights on the stage, where the DJ controls the mood of the crowd. 

 

The wild dancers grind right by him, the ego-maniacs with a point to prove, and the show-offs who are trying to catch someone’s eye. Lena yells, “I want to dance up there. Kara?”

 

Kara’s gaze swings towards the stage and she blinks at the crowd and all of their reckless energy. It’s Lena’s radiant smile that has her shouting over the music, “Sure, I’d love that!” She grabs Lena’s hand before Alex can stop her and weaves them through the throng of bodies, all moving and swaying in time to the frenetic beat. Kara’s pulse matches it as she turns to help Lena onto the raised platform.

 

For the first time that night Kara gets to bask in Lena’s beauty and she smiles shyly as she leans into her. “You look sexy in that dress.” She remarks, and spins Lena the way she wanted to last night. There’s a freedom to having Lena in her arms, and Kara laughs as they dance together, losing all of their inhibitions in the strobe lights. “I’m so glad we came here. We’ve needed a fun night out.”

 

Watching them cautiously from the sidelines, Alex finally manages to flag down the bartender. She orders a beer for herself and Kara, and a fancy looking mocktail for Lena while Sam is distracted ordering her own drink. “Why aren’t you dancing?” Alex asks when Sam joins her. “I thought you’d be up there with them.”

 

“I need at least one of these before I can shake my ass without worrying what I look like.” Sam laughs, raising her glass to clink it against the bottle in Alex’s hand. “When I’ve finished this you’ll be coming with me. No mama-bearing tonight, Danvers.”

 

Lena glances towards their distracted friends, and then her grin broadens as she slides her hand into Kara’s jacket. “We need to do this more often,” she hums, with a purr against Kara’s earlobe, and she rocks her hips to the music as she begins to loosen up. “We need to have these normal college experiences together while we still can.” The gravity in her eyes and thickness of her voice are a powerful combination. “Before the night is over, I want to act on every impulse and be just as carefree and rowdy as everyone else here,” she admits. “I want all of this to be unforgettable.”

 

Across the room, Sam gulps her cocktail with a sour expression on her face and drops the empty glass on the bar. “These drinks are strong,” she sniffs. “I feel like I’m already dancing, and I’m standing still.” She takes Lena’s mocktail from Alex and together they find space near Kara and Lena on the stage. 

 

“Think you can hold this and move to the music at the same time?” Alex asks with a curious quirk of her brow, and passes off the bottle of beer to Kara.

 

“Of course I can.” Kara brags, grabbing her beer to take a sip as she beams at Lena. “Ooh, that looks so good,” She motions towards Lena’s drink, the bright colors and little umbrella setting it apart from the rest she’s seen so far. “Alex, why didn’t you get me one of those?” Kara asks, staring at Lena as she tastes it.

 

“Because we both know you can’t handle fruity alcohol.” Alex shoots back as she watches Lena. “Did I ever tell you guys about the time Kara drank a whole pitcher of strawberry daiquiri?”

 

Kara gasps, and shields Lena with her body as she fumes, “Alex I totally forbid you from telling that—”

 

“So, one summer we go home for the break,” Alex cuts her off, holding her hand up to block Kara’s face. “And mom had made this giant pitcher of strawberry daiquiri for a barbecue she was hosting. And _this one,_ ” Alex uses her thumb to point towards Kara as she laughs, “She thought it was a smoothie, and drank the whole damn thing, and--”

 

“No, no!” Kara yells, though she’s grinning hard enough to make her cheeks ache as she tries to shut Alex up with her hand. “Don’t listen to her--”

 

Alex ignores her sister. “People start showing up, and my mom is convinced I stole it, when Kara appears in a mismatched bikini, wearing a backwards cap and sunglasses, while singing Barbie Girl off-key into her hair brush!”

 

“Well, come on Barbie, let’s go party. I’ll buy you one of those fancy umbrella drinks,” Sam smirks and manages to take two steps, but Alex grabs ahold of the back of her dress. 

 

“Not on my watch,” Alex warns and restrains Sam with a more gentle hand. “Besides, aren’t you going to dance with me?”

 

Lena melts at the sight of Kara’s pathetic face and she itches to give her the mocktail. “It’s not very strong,” she lies and passes the glass to Kara with a shrug. “You can have one sip.” Her breathing slows while Kara drinks the sweet concoction and then she laughs from panic. “See? It’s like there’s no alcohol in it at all.”

 

Kara relishes the taste she’s gotten and passes it back with wide eyed wonder as she moans, “So sweet, so delicious, and that’s absolutely my weakness, which makes it kryp - uh - crack!” She blurts, causing the guy next to her to look at her curiously. “It’s like crack to me.” She clarifies with a bit of a cough.

 

Alex slaps her on the back to prevent her from choking on her own tongue, and in warning, then heads off with Sam to dance.

 

Kara sticks with her beer, draining it fast just so she can wrap her arms around Lena as they dance. She can’t help herself, and follows the curves of Lena’s body every chance she gets, holding her hips to pull her closer and grabbing her ass whenever she spins around. They gravitate towards each other as the music shifts and changes and Kara’s eyes never stray from Lena.

 

The heat of the club mingles with Lena’s, and Kara can feel it as she leans into her, like her heart’s a bass drum and her pulse is music and _oh,_ she wants to be part of it so badly. She kisses Lena before she has the sense not to, hungry and hard, like the rest of her body.

 

Lena goes lightheaded from the kiss and swoons in Kara’s arms, entranced by the passionate gleam in her eyes. She finds ways to press into Kara, stoking her own arousal to unprecedented levels. It might be the scent suppressors, or the pregnancy, but she craves Kara’s sexual attention. “If we find a seat somewhere in a quiet corner, I could sit in your lap and you could slip inside of me,” she whispers, her voice a raspy seduction all on its own. “It’s so crowded, would anyone notice?”

 

It’s a terrible idea and Kara knows it, but her whole body is on fire with desires that she has no hopes of ignoring and so she groans into Lena’s ear. “I don’t think we’ll find anywhere quiet but—” She cranes her neck, looking for Sam and Alex to make sure they’re not watching them before announcing, “We can check at the back over there. I think I see tables, or we could try the bathrooms?” She entwines their fingers, and snakes through the crowd and off the stage with Lena in tow, focused in her pursuit to find somewhere they can connect more fully.

 

Lena spots a table by the wall, which she deems inconspicuous enough for her crazed and screaming hormones, and she pulls out the chair for Kara. The side effect of the suppressor tablets must be kicking in, because she forces Kara down by the shoulders and straddles her. She grabs ahold of Kara’s belt, tightening her fists on it like reigns and then she moans into Kara’s mouth as they kiss, ready to ravish each other in public. “Let me,” Lena rasps and works at Kara’s belt buckle, opening it enough to unzip her pants. “I want you in my mouth.” 

 

Glancing around before taking the risk, Lena lowers herself onto her knees and ducks below the table. The thrilling scents of Kara are taking over her rational thought. Her palm lands on the hard bulge in Kara’s pants, and she rubs it with her hand until it feels like steel. 

 

Part of her wants to act, but another more instinctual part insists on waiting until her alpha gives her what she needs. “Kara?” she asks. “Please.” 

 

If anyone looks Kara’s way, they’ll think she’s taking a short break from dancing, because her brow has a faint sheen of sweat and she’s breathing heavily from the heated make out session. She can hear her own pulse like an undercurrent of lust and she shifts in her seat to slink further down, concealing her lower half.

 

Kara’s arousal is so strong that it overrides her senses, yet she still looks around wildly for any sign of Sam and her sister. Everyone is so caught up having a good time that they’re not paying them any attention, and before Kara has the clarity to hesitate, she’s nodding her approval, “Yes, Lena, you can have it.” She rumbles, her hand slipping beneath the table to press warmly against Lena’s cheek. There’s empty glasses and bottles on the table, and Kara grabs one in an effort to look like she’s resting.

 

Lena smooths down the folds of Kara’s pants and finds the partition in her underwear. Kara’s cock bobs up from the restricting clothes, and Lena stares at the immense head and the veins that make it so rigid. Arousal splashes onto her hand when she lifts Kara’s cock. The groove in the tip leaks more, and Lena slides her tongue against it for a taste. “Tell me if anyone is coming, apart from you,” Lena husks quietly. 

 

“Oh Rao, uh—wow,” Kara blurts, biting her lip at the first sensation from Lena’s warm mouth. It’s overwhelming to know how wrong this is, such a forbidden act in a public space, but Kara’s baser needs are raging within her. She can feel Lena’s heat, the strength of it calls to her in primal ways she feels desperate to fulfill. “I mean, I will — no one is looking – ” Kara encourages, and avidly watches the crowd as her legs twitch out of sight.

 

Lena takes her time, rolling her tongue over the dip where Kara’s need pools and drizzles. 

 

Kara jerks in place and her cock rises up to push into Lena’s mouth. Making a soft noise as it hits the back of her throat, Lena expands her nostrils and inhales the scent of Kara while swallowing. The reflex to cough or choke poses no obstacle to her, and she’s able to keep Kara in deeper and for longer than before. Her lips pucker in a wet pop over the head, and then smoothly glide over Kara’s girth, as far down to the base as she can go. 

 

It’s sensual and exquisitely torturous, and Kara’s eyes threaten to close more than once from the rush of endorphins. She forces them open, slumping into the chair as she bites back a moan and exhales harshly to cover it. Parting her legs wider, Kara struggles to keep her hips from rolling and she whimpers as her cock sinks halfway into Lena’s hungry mouth. 

 

Kara wants to touch Lena, to guide her, take her, and she’s so focused on watching the crowd she’s not monitoring herself. The glass in Kara’s hand shatters as she jolts with a groan, and someone nearby looks over their shoulder. “My bad.” Kara yells, waving them off as she splays her hand against the table instead.

 

Lena’s deliberate and determined in her motions, her tongue fast and greedy in stroking the underside of Kara’s cock. She lunges over Kara with soft, slurping moans. The top of her head brushes the table above her when her mouth takes fuller pulls on Kara’s cock. 

 

As Kara’s muscles strain in anticipation, Lena bends and lets Kara’s shaft stick deep in her throat. She feels every sign of Kara’s impending pleasure.

 

Lena locks her lips, preventing every thick blast of seed from trickling, and she waits for Kara to completely relax before she sits up. 

 

Kara’s buzzing, her entire being throbs with exhilaration and she snares Lena’s hands in her own to pull her closer. 

 

“You are—” Kara captures Lena’s mouth with her own, the kiss is sloppy but passionate and she sighs in ecstasy, “amazing.” Kara’s full attention is on Lena, her hypnotic beauty drawing her in as she shifts enough to let Lena straddle her lap. 

 

With some fumbling, Kara’s hand slips beneath the expensive fabric of Lena’s dress and pushes her soaked panties aside. “You’re so wet.” Kara husks against her lips, strumming her fingertips through Lena’s inviting warmth before dipping inside. “So ready for me.” She groans, losing herself to Lena’s enthralling heat.

 

Lena’s unable to control how her body responds to Kara, her soaking arousal or how she moves her pelvis in an easy rotation. The scent suppressors are working for her on one account, but completely working against her on another, turning her into a sex-obsessed mess. She no longer feels the pulse of the night club, all she can feel are Kara’s hands and cock, and how they fit against her curves and erogenous zones. “I can’t wait another second,” she breathes.

 

Kara’s free hand moves from Lena’s waist to her own pocket to find a condom, and she tears it open discreetly before sheathing herself in the latex. Her erection is hidden by Lena’s dress, and they kiss again, wild and passionate as Lena rises up just enough for Kara to align herself at her insatiable, sopping hole. She guides Lena onto her thick length with a firm push of her hips, and plunges into Lena’s extraordinary warmth as if they were at home, and not in a club filled with hundreds of people.

 

Lena holds onto Kara’s shoulders and from any other vantage point in the room, it might seem like she’s giving a lap dance instead of grinding herself more intimately against Kara. But the slick meeting of their bodies does nothing to calm Lena’s raging hormones. She wants Kara’s knot in her, swollen and spreading her tight pussy, and Lena’s eyelids droop as she rides faster. “I’ve never felt like this,” she confesses. “So out of control.”

 

Kara’s short breaths are strained as she wills herself to sit still, allowing Lena to satisfy her urges. “Oh, I think that – that’s my fault. There’s something I have to tell you...” This isn’t the ideal time or place to share something so important, but Kara’s not exactly thinking as she angles her hips to push deeper inside of Lena, her velvety muscles clutching her cock with such intensity that Kara can feel herself getting close to knotting. “Wait, wait Lena I-” Kara’s moan becomes a keening whine as she holds Lena’s hips still, her eyes apologetic as she whispers against her lips. “We—we have to stop or I’ll knot in you.”

 

It’s absolute agony to listen to Kara, but Lena halts with a frown. She sucks the inside of her bottom lip, and glances around the club while her skin cools. Surprised to see other couples in similar positions, Lena sighs and breathes. “At least we’re not the only ones behaving like this,” she says. “I thought it must just be me. Between the tablets and their side effects, and my… _extended heat,_ I can’t think clearly.” She’s not only over aroused, but her emotions are also all over the place, ranging from sad to grumpy and needy. “What were you going to tell me?” she asks. 

 

Denying Lena the release she craves twists Kara’s stomach, but she can’t risk them being stuck together like that. She casts her gaze to the side, seeing the couples Lena must have and frowns deeply. It’s startling, and Kara’s jaw drops as she concludes, “I think we’ve caused this.”

 

Like a shock wave rippling through a crowd, Lena’s powerful heat and Kara’s inhuman pheromones are wafting through the dancers. It’s a potent combination, an invisible aphrodisiac that’s about to land them in a whole heap of trouble if they aren’t careful. “Lena, this--” Kara stumbles over her words, the seriousness of the situation quelling her libido only enough for her to sputter, “I--I should have told you before, I wanted to, and this isn’t how I envisioned telling you, but I-I’m Su--”

 

“Seriously?” Sam laughs, coming to a halt at their table with a mischievous look at catching them mid make-out, “We leave you alone for ten minutes and you’re all over each other.”

 

Kara’s eyes widen and she flounders for something to say but all that comes out in her panic is, “I uh-we-uh-It’s--”

 

Sam doesn’t notice over the blaring music. She rolls her eyes and motions behind her as she yells, “Alex went to the bathroom and I need a drink.” She reaches for Lena, taking her hand with the expectations of helping her untangle from Kara. “Come with me. You both owe me a dance for disappearing.”

 

Lena’s tongue sticks in her mouth and she finds it difficult to speak. Embarrassment gets the better of her, and she flushes a dark shade of red before she’s able to think on her toes. “Sam – Kara was about to tell me something important,” she replies, blinking up at her friend in a subtle message that they need privacy. 

 

“Oh, fine, I’ll meet you at the bar in two minutes then,” Sam relents. “Don’t be late, or I’ll know you’re up to no good. I’ll even send Alex over here.” She smirks at her own devious threat and then hurries away to the bar. 

 

With Sam gone, Lena relaxes and turns back to Kara with the most radiant smile. She goes soft at the worry on Kara’s face. “What’s the matter?” she asks. “Are you worried Alex will lecture us?” 

 

Kara’s breathing as though she’s on the verge of a panic attack but she smiles for Lena and rests her forehead against hers. “I-yes, but that’s not, uh, what I was going to say.” People to the left of them are moaning louder, and Kara gulps as she takes in the sight of Lena, so flushed she’s almost glowing, her eyes so intense Kara could stare into them for hours and feel like only minutes had passed.

 

“Lena, yesterday when I was late to the ball it was because I—” Kara swallows thickly, and clasps Lena’s hands in her own. There’s a desperation in her voice that she can’t hide, a fear that makes her words wobble when she explains, “When I said I’d always protect you, I meant it, and I know that I can because I’m…” Kara presses her lips together and meets Lena’s gaze as she whispers, “I’m Supergirl.”

 

Lena’s mouth drops open and she loses focus, her attention straying far away and back again. She’s silent and her tears are held at bay only because of her sudden indignation. “And you thought that the best time to tell me this was when you’re inside of me, in a packed club, when Sam and Alex are about to be breathing down our necks, and I’m p — 

 

“I’m sorry!” Kara wails, her face contorting as she realizes how much she’s messed up. She grasps Lena’s face tenderly in her hands to pull her into a chaste kiss, then another, and another, until she’s sure Lena can feel all of her love spilling out between their lips. “I’m sorry.” She reiterates solemnly, her big eyes shining with unshed tears, “I know this is the worst time to tell you and — and you probably hate me right now, but look around us. Look at what we’re causing.” She turns scarlet as she hisses, “An orgy. It could get out of hand. I mean it — it already is – ”

 

Lena firms her jaw and glances down at her hands, which she clasps together in consideration. “Hold on, Kara, I don’t hate you,” she says quietly. “I could _never._ ” Lifting herself off of Kara’s lap, she composes herself in an instant. She squeezes Kara’s shoulder with a kindly but broken smile. “We really should go find Alex and Sam,” she suggests and extends her hand to Kara. It’s clear she’s tabling this conversation for the time being, putting any further discussion aside for the sake of others. The slight warble in her voice is the only clue that Lena’s hurting. “We don’t want to be responsible for causing riots two nights in a row, do we?”

 

“No.” Kara whispers in agreement, folding in on herself as she hangs her head in shame. It takes effort, but Kara forces her emotions off of her face and buries them in her chest where they can ache privately. She hurriedly tucks herself back into her pants and notes with some chagrin that the crotch of her jeans is soaked in Lena’s arousal. “We should head to the bar. They’ll be waiting for us.” Kara lilts gently. She takes Lena’s hand and slides out of the chair with as much grace as a newborn giraffe.

 

Kara’s feet are uncoordinated from the latent desires fueling her body, and she trips over her feet and almost dives into the couple heatedly making out two tables away. “Oh, wow, okay, I uh, I didn’t need to see that.” She rambles, taking Lena’s hand to whisk her away from the people fornicating, and through the crowded dance floor.

 

“There you are.” Sam calls, and snags Kara by the arm to pull her to the bar. “I was about to send a search party, AKA your sister.” She jokes, eyeing Lena up and then Kara. Sniffing, not so subtly, she tilts her head to the side.

 

“This round's on me.” Kara states in lieu of explanations, and Sam grins at her broadly and accepts the bills she’s handing over.

 

“ _Literally._ ” Alex chimes in from the side, looking Kara up and down critically with narrowed eyes. “What did you do, spill your drink?”

 

Sam’s grin turns gleeful as she snorts, “Oh I don’t think that’s—”

 

“Yes.” Kara cuts her off, and forces out a laugh that sounds hysterical. “I walked into someone on our way over. Just my bad luck.”

 

“Nah, you have the luck of the Irish, Kara — quite literally,” Sam teases, and eyes Lena up and down, pleased with her own judgment. “Did you give her your pot of gold, Lena?”

 

Lena just gently smacks Sam’s arm and finds a vacant stool to sit on. She props her chin on her hand and commits to making a solid effort not to shut down. 

 

“Hey, let’s go to the bathroom,” Sam says to Kara, while shooting a curious glance between Alex and Lena. “You need to clean up and I finally need to pee. I knew this was coming. I should have just gone with you, Alex.” She grabs Kara’s hand and drags her off in the direction of the bathrooms. “C’mon.” 

 

After they’re gone, Alex slides onto the stool next to Lena, who determinedly keeps her eyes on the bottles that line the wall behind the bar. 

 

“So…” Alex starts, drumming her fingers on the counter as if counting the things she could say. She sighs, and picks up her beer, twirling it in her hand before finally stating, “Something’s happened, I can tell that from your face and your lack of sarcasm. You wanna tell me about it before they come back? Maybe I can help.”

 

“Can you?” Lena dully asks. “Your sister told me her secret.” She beckons the bartender over and orders a ginger ale. Sipping the bubbly drink, she tilts her head and slides her hand down her stomach. “Now I can’t tell her mine. Tonight was supposed to be the night. I had it all planned out.”

 

Alex raises her eyebrows in surprise and spins on her stool to look at Lena. “And are you okay with,” She flounders for a second, then whispers, “her secret?” It takes her a moment, but then she’s frowning in confusion, and studying Lena’s face as she asks, “Wait, why can’t you still tell her? You know, stick to your plan?” Alex shrugs casually, attempting to stay cool, but her excitement gets the better of her and she leans closer to Lena. “What _was_ the plan?”

 

Lena plays with her straw and swirls the ice in her glass. “I walked into town on Thursday. I bought baby shoes,” she admits, her voice soft and cracking. “I wrote Kara a note about how she’ll soon have someone to follow in her footsteps. Except now I’m not so sure.” Tears streak down her face, in a wild line of mascara that she tries to stop from running. “I’m human and she’s an alien. There’s a reason that so few hybrids exist, Alex. Not only is cross-breeding frowned upon, but the pregnancies are much riskier. I’ve been sick every day. Next week when one of the biology labs is empty, I’ll run my own health check. But I’m not going to tell Kara about any of this until I’m much further along. What if I _can’t_ carry her baby?” 

 

“Oh Lena…” Alex whispers, her voice hoarse from seeing the heartbreak on Lena’s face. “I had no idea. I never thought about those kinds of complications. I just assumed…” She stands up to reach over the bar top, grabs a handful of napkins and passes them to Lena. “You don’t have to go through this alone. Whatever happens, I’m here for you. If you want to hold off on telling her—” Impulsively, Alex wraps her arm around Lena’s shoulder, “I’ve got your back. If you need anything, any time, you call me. You got it? We’re in this together.”

 

Lena sags against Alex, nodding and holding on tight while she wipes her face dry. “Kara deserves to know,” she admits. “But the idea of anything happening. . . it’s so much more devastating when I imagine Kara’s reaction to it. Maybe I’m just being stupid—” 

 

“You’re not,” Alex cuts in fiercely. “You’re scared, and you have every right to be.”

 

Returning to her upright posture, Lena drinks the rest of her ginger ale and scoots off the stool. “I know you just went, but will you come to the bathroom with me?” she asks. “I just… I want to find Kara and give her a hug, so she knows we’re okay. But I’d rather not walk alone, even with a few scent suppressors in me.” 

 

Alex manages a watery smile and nods, “Of course I will, come on. I’ll make sure nobody bothers you.” True to her word, Alex takes Lena’s arm and acts as a buffer, pushing through the crowd and keeping other dancers at arms’ length as they walk to the bathrooms.

 

There’s a line, but as they get there, Kara and Sam are already on their way out. Kara’s face brightens when she sees Lena, then shifts to worry as she approaches. “Hey.” Kara says meekly, her smile tentative as she looks from Alex to Lena. “Are you okay?”

 

Lena wraps her arms around Kara’s waist and nuzzles her neck fondly. “Better than okay, though I do need to use the restroom,” she admits, threading their fingers together and pulling Kara aside. “I just wanted to say thank you for trusting me. It must not have been easy, especially given who I am.”

 

The tension in Kara’s shoulders lessens and she melts into the embrace, as Alex and Sam head back to the bar. “Are you kidding?” Kara laughs, squeezing Lena’s hand reassuringly. She’s grinning bashfully, but the sincerity in her voice doesn’t waver. “Trusting you and falling in love with you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, Lena.”


	5. Chapter 5

Their lives are so much easier now that Lena is aware of Kara’s secret. There’s no rushing out the door with a handful of excuses anymore, no late arrivals that hurt Lena’s feelings. Now that she’s in the loop, Kara makes sure to keep her in it. 

 

Kara makes it a point, over the weeks, to text Lena whenever she has to fly off for some reason, and when Lena’s feeling particularly bold and mischievous, she drops a request for take-out or sweets from anywhere in the world, and Kara brings it to her with a big, cheesy grin. 

 

Kara’s proud of their connection. She revels in the way Lena accepts her, and Kara proves time and again just how much she adores Lena for it.

 

They are content like this, with mornings of chaste, sweet kisses and long nights of sex that have broken Lena’s bed twice this month. They meet for lunch with Alex and Sam, and they both happily act as buffers through the course of the day until Kara’s back at Lena’s window with a new playlist and heavy duty scent-masking sprays. _For the most part it works._

 

Rumors still circulate and Lena’s heat is still going strong, but she’s unclaimed and that keeps people from talking too much. They speculate, but it always comes back to the same theory: if Lena _really_ is sleeping with someone, there’s _no way_ that person would be able to hold out on claiming her. 

 

Kara’s certain her new superpower is restraint. She jokes about it in the quiet hours of the night as she holds Lena in her arms, sleepy from their mating.

 

Before long, the holidays are upon them, and Kara invites Lena to spend the winter break with her and Alex back home. 

 

Lena’s mother is in Switzerland, and Lex has been away on business and mysteriously delayed in his return to collect Lena. The opportunity to spend more time together is too great to pass up. 

 

“Do you need anything else or are you finally packed?” Kara asks, pretending to haul Lena’s bags to the door as if they weigh a ton, just to tease the omega. “I think there’s still space if you want to squeeze another folder or notebook in. Maybe a lab coat?” She suggests with a laugh. “What are you even bringing? All we’ll be doing is making cookies, drinking eggnog, and decorating a tree, so I know you don’t need this much.”

 

Lena selects two other course books from her shelf, both for classes she isn’t even taking next semester, and then glances over at Kara in confusion. “This suitcase contains _only_ the essentials,” she argues, her eyebrows scrunching together in thought. She fights with the zipper on the luggage so she can safely place the course books inside.

 

The "essentials" consist of twelve text books, five novels, a book that contains her sketches and schematics, three hard drives, her laptop, and a pencil pouch with flowers on it. Her clothing, make-up, and all of the presents she’s purchased for Kara, Alex and their mother are in her _second_ bag. “Aren’t you going to study during the break?” Lena asks. 

 

Kara makes a noise that sounds like an incredulous whoopie cushion. “Pfft, no!” She states, throwing her hands out with a look of total bafflement. “It’s the holidays, you know, when we get to watch stupid movies and eat so much junk we can barely move, and we bake and laugh and—” 

 

It dawns on Kara, quite suddenly, that her experiences on earth are so vastly different to Lena’s and she wishes she could suck the words back into her mouth. “And you’ve never done that before.” She concludes softly, immediately stepping closer to run her hands comfortingly over Lena’s shoulders. “Rao, I’m so stupid! I’m sorry Lena, we can study if you want. I’ll bring some of my books too.”

 

Lena merely laughs and hangs her head to cover up the flash of emotion in her eyes. Kara’s beginning to see right through her attempts to pretend that nothing affects her. The stretch of her smile seems unnatural, and she bends to check on the suitcase again as an excuse to break away from Kara’s touch. “We can share my books if we need to,” Lena offers, her delight returning when she stands up. “I’m looking forward to participating in all of your holiday traditions, Kara. It’s important to me, because when we have children. . . I mean, eventually, I don’t want them growing up in a cold household. I’ve always been a little worried that I won’t know how to be nurturing, how to create a loving atmosphere for a family — ” 

 

“Well now you’re just being silly.” Kara lilts, bounding over to help Lena with the suitcase. “You’re the most nurturing person I know. Well, besides Alex. You’re so kind and patient, and your love is…” Kara’s grinning as she sinks down onto the bed, her elbows pressing into her thighs as she carries on, “It’s like sunshine, so warm and bright and pure. You’re already a natural at creating a loving atmosphere, Lena. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

 

Lena’s drawn to Kara and takes a few quick steps in her direction, only hesitating to grab a present from her suitcase. She slides into the spot on the bed next to Kara and passes over the present. “I was planning to give this to you when we arrived at your house. I don’t want to put it under the tree,” she explains with quiet exhalations of anticipation. “Please open it.” 

 

The festive red wrapping paper and huge green bow give away nothing of what might be inside. 

 

“Ooh,” Kara coos excitedly, clutching the box the way a child might, with big eyes and a wide grin. Then her face falls slightly, and she looks at Lena with a sad arch of her brows, “I didn’t bring any of your presents here. They’re all packed away, but when we get home I’ll give you one.”

 

Kara’s fingers enthusiastically pull the side of the bow so that it unravels, and she hurriedly tears at the paper with a wide grin. She flips the lid off the box and her smile shifts from glee to wonder, her eyes flicking over the contents curiously before settling on the perfectly written note. “You made an itemized list?” Kara laughs, picking it up to read.

 

**S** hoes to follow in your footsteps.  
**U** ltrasound of our baby.  
**P** ot sticker onesie because of my cravings.  
**E** arly pregnancy test.  
**R** ead-to-me book collection.

 

Emotions bubble up within Kara and she sputters out, “You. . . you’re pregnant?” Her eyebrows furrow in surprised confusion and her mouth opens and shuts as her gaze flies to Lena then back to the box. The note is forgotten as she digs into the contents to lift out the tiniest pair of shoes she’s ever seen, a pregnancy test, and then the onesie with the most adorable picture of a pot sticker on it and the words _I’m cute and Dim Sum._ Finally her searching fingers locate the picture, and Kara stares at it, mouth agape as she traces the image with trembling fingertips. She sucks in a stuttering breath as she reiterates in awe, ”You’re pregnant.”

 

She turns to Lena, with glossy eyes and an adoring smile, then scoops her up with strong arms and spins them around the room as she declares against her neck lovingly, “You’re pregnant!” It’s the most amazing thing Kara’s ever been told, and she can’t stop the joy that radiates from her, or how she’s grinning and laughing as she squeezes Lena against her. Kara’s lips find Lena’s in worshipful kisses that taste salty from her tears of happiness, and she can’t help how she exclaims ecstatically. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

 

Lena cups Kara’s face with tenderness and breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m about fourteen weeks along,” she explains, wiping a thumb along Kara’s cheek to dry the dampness. “Two weeks ago, I snuck into an OB-GYN’s office to do the ultrasound. Alex helped me. She’s been aware of this for a while. I had symptoms and she figured it out. I would have told you early on, but I was concerned about the health of the baby. I thought she might not survive early gestation, but I’m in my second trimester now and her heartbeat is very strong. I was afraid you’d be terribly disappointed if I lost her. I didn’t want to keep secrets from you—” 

 

There’s so much to process, and Kara decides not to hold it against Lena for confiding in Alex because she knows now and their baby is going to be a fighter, just like them.

 

Lena eases up her blouse to show off her belly, which has a little more softness and curve to it, but otherwise looks the same. “With your super-hearing, I’m surprised you didn’t detect the pregnancy.” 

 

“I didn’t use my super hearing on you. I never even thought to do that.” Kara admits hastily and falls to her knees to press her ear against Lena’s tummy. “Oh, oh wow.” She whispers, biting her lip as she smiles. There it is, the fastest little heartbeat, thumping wildly. She pulls back suddenly to look up at Lena as she wonders aloud, “Do you think I could see it with my X-Ray vision? No, I shouldn’t, just in case it’s harmful. Oh but I wanna see her so bad.” She whines, splaying her hand over Lena’s barely there bump. Kara kisses the smooth skin and whispers warmly, “I can’t wait to meet you.”

 

Lena’s so stunned and moved by Kara’s actions that it takes her a while to state, “Definitely avoid using your X-Ray vision. That would be dangerous.” Her hand falls on Kara’s ponytail and strokes through blonde curls. “So you’re happy?” she asks, even though the answer is obvious from how Kara behaves - from how she holds on to Lena’s waist and continues to listen to the heartbeat. “She might come before we even graduate. In fact, she’s due the week that we have our finals. I haven’t been thinking much about how we’re going to handle all of that yet. I just want her to arrive and be healthy—”

 

“Of course I’m happy. This is amazing! I mean, I was hoping we would have a family eventually, and sure this is a surprise, but the best kind.” Kara’s words tumble from her mouth so fast she doesn’t even breathe, but she pauses all of the sudden and stands up. Her curious eyes search Lena’s as she quietly checks, “Are—are you happy with this? Wait, did you say - we…. we’re having a girl?” She asks, on the verge of tears again as she pulls Lena into her arms with a happy noise that sticks around the lump in her throat.

 

“We’re having a girl,” Lena confirms, a soft and dimpled smile forming on her face. She leans into Kara and runs her hand down her abdomen. “To be honest, I think I’ve been trying to avoid my feelings all of this time because you didn’t know. Now that you do, I am very happy. I already juggle so much with my studies, and you’re constantly out there saving the world. Together, we should be able to take care of a baby, and still accomplish all of our professional and personal goals, right?”

 

There’s a knock at the door before they can discuss it further, and then Alex walks in with a duffle bag propped on one shoulder. “Hey, are you both ready?” she asks. “It’s time to go.” 

 

“We-we… we’re just—” 

 

With the door open, Kara can’t say what she wants, but she holds up the ultrasound to signal to Alex that she’s aware of Lena’s pregnancy, and then beams at her sister.

 

Alex sighs in relief and her radiant smile rivals Kara’s as she intones, “Finally, now I can bug the both of you instead of just Lena.” She grins slyly and hikes a thumb over her shoulder, “But seriously, we gotta go now or we’ll be late. We can celebrate on the road, and you two can decide who’s telling mom the good news.”

 

Kara’s eyes widen, and Alex cackles as she picks up one of Lena’s bags and walks off, with Kara tripping over herself behind her, carrying Lena’s suitcase. “Alex—” She calls, looking helplessly back at Lena as she grabs her jacket. “Alex, you can’t just say that and walk away!”

 

“Just did!” Alex yells over her shoulder, and from the way she’s laughing it’s clear she’s going to enjoy tormenting her sister.

 

“Nihm rrip kuva, Alex!” Kara hisses under her breath, but Alex is already gone. “Rao, voiehd nim dol.” She mutters quietly, but as she turns to Lena her worries are gone and her smile is back. “Ignore her. We’re going to have fun, I swear.” Kara insists, and ushers Lena out the door.

 

The car ride home will take an hour, and Alex controls the radio, only allowing Lena to select stations and denying Kara’s request to listen to the same Christmas songs on repeat over and over again. 

 

Lena falls asleep on Kara’s shoulder about thirty minutes into the trip. 

 

“It’s been hard on her, you know, keeping that secret over the past few months,” Alex whispers and turns down the radio to prevent it from waking Lena. 

 

Kara’s experience of keeping her identity a secret from Lena is enough for her to nod in understanding. “Thank you for being there for her.” Kara whispers sincerely, meeting Alex’s eyes in the rearview mirror. 

 

“I already told her this, but I’m going to help both of you out in whatever way I can,” Alex adds. “At least she’s getting to spend the holidays with us, instead of going home. Do you think Lex is really on a business trip, or that he’s plotting another mass alien murder in time for the holidays?”

 

The topic of Lex sours Kara’s stomach and she grimaces at the blunt question. She flicks her gaze back to Lena, grateful that she’s still asleep, before grumbling, “I think anything Lex does will be trouble, though for whom, I’m not sure. But I hope he proves me wrong.”

 

The rest of the ride is quiet, and Kara wakes Lena once they arrive. She helps her out of the car before grabbing their bags, and Alex races up the path to all but fling the door open. “Mom we’re here!” She calls, waving Lena inside with an encouraging grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.” She whispers discreetly, and motions with her eyes to Lena’s stomach.

 

Eliza greets them in the hallway with a smile. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”

 

Kara laughs at the joke, and Alex tenses imperceptibly. 

 

“Yeah we had some packing to do, but we made it.” Kara explains with a carefree shrug. The air smells like cinnamon and ginger, and Kara’s mouth salivates as she asks, “Oooh, did you bake cookies?”

 

“Yes.” Eliza lilts, her eyes dancing over the three of them curiously as she gestures. “I’d hoped we could make them together, but then I thought I might as well get the first batch going.”

 

“Great,” Alex states, the tension in her jaw noticeable as she clears her throat.

 

Eliza takes in a slow breath and then smiles again, her attention shifting from Alex to Lena as she holds out her hand. “You must be Lena. I’ve heard so much about you. Why don’t you all come into the kitchen and I’ll make hot cocoa?”

 

“I would love some hot cocoa,” Lena politely replies and shakes hand with Eliza while flashing her a shy smile. “Thank you for inviting me.” 

 

“I’ll take our bags to the rooms,” Kara announces, and then she’s zooming off at a speed so inhuman that she’s a blur. She’s back before any of them blink, with a broad grin that says she’s pleased with herself. “Done!” She chuckles and urges Lena forward with a light hand on her back. “Now let’s get that cocoa.”

 

Lena’s eyes linger on Alex’s posture, her drawn in shoulders and downward tilted chin. She places a hand on Alex’s arm to soothe her and then steps towards the kitchen with Kara. 

 

Alex follows them at a delay and brushes by Kara to find the ingredients for the cocoa. “I’ll make it,” she offers. “Kara’s cocoa never turns out right.” Steaming the milk on the stovetop, she adds a block of real chocolate to the mix along with a powder, then whisks it to the right consistency. 

 

When the rich drink is finished, Alex pours it into four different mugs and tops it with layers of whipped cream and crushed candy cane pieces. She distributes the mugs and plops down at the table with her feet up. 

 

Lena sits beside Kara and basks in the warmth that radiates from the mug. 

 

Eliza carries a plate heaped high with cookies to the table and then takes a seat across from Lena. 

 

“So, how were your finals?” Eliza asks curiously and bites into a cookie, holding her hand underneath her mouth to grab any extra crumbs. 

 

“Lena, why you don’t answer that question?” Alex chimes in, sipping her cocoa with a smirk. “We practically live at the library because of her.” 

 

“I’m happy to report that our grades reflect our efforts,” Lena blushes and blows on her cocoa, allowing it to cool a little more before she tastes it. 

 

“And are you just as responsible and vigilant in all of the other areas of your life?” Eliza fishes, in a tone that seems innocent enough. 

 

Lena’s too smart not to pick up on Eliza’s underlying concerns. 

 

“Most of the time,” Lena answers with honesty, and the slow bat of her eyelashes is the only clue that Eliza’s line of questioning has affected her. “I’ve made some mistakes, but that’s part of being human.”

 

“Being human is a luxury that way,” Eliza states and glances fondly towards Kara, then reaches over to touch her hand. “Aliens don’t get as much leeway. There are more dangers for them, especially the ones that attempt to help the general public.” 

 

Kara smiles bashfully and rolls her eyes at Eliza. “Hey, that’s why I’m super careful.” She grins at her pun and gulps down half of her cocoa. “You should tell Lena about your work. She’s a genius. She loves science just like you.” Kara’s adoring gaze lands on Lena, and cheerfully adds, “Eliza is a scientist.”

 

“I’m a bio-engineer.” Eliza corrects, while watching Lena closely. 

 

“Right.” Kara laughs, tipping her head to the side. “You guys are going to get along fine.” She exhales happily, and picks up a cookie to bite into with a low moan. “I missed these so much.”

 

“Better grab some now, Lena, or Kara will eat them all before dinner.” Alex teases, snagging one to dunk into her cocoa.

 

“I’m not that bad.” Kara protests, with her hand suspended over the plate. She looks down at it guiltily and scrunches her nose. “Okay, maybe I am, but it’s not my fault. They’re delicious.” She pushes the plate towards Lena and ignores the way Alex snorts into her cup.

 

Lena’s eyes lock on Eliza, as if figuring out her intentions, before sweeping back over to Kara. “Thank you,” she murmurs, taking a cookie and fixating on the crystals of sugar and cinnamon on top. She bites into the treat, letting it melt in her mouth, and then she tries the cocoa. “I’ve never had homemade cookies before,” she whispers. “These are wonderful.” 

 

The warming foods seem to relax Lena, and the mood of the room shifts when Eliza stands up to make dinner. 

 

Eliza almost softens to Lena after that, even if she still curiously glances her way while she slices vegetables and sautés them in a pan. 

 

Alex stands up to deposit her mug in the sink and they all pitch in with cooking the dinner. Lena takes it upon herself to set the table while Alex tidies up the kitchen after Eliza. 

 

The roast chicken, vegetables and mashed potatoes are just as delectable as Eliza’s baked goods, and Lena thanks her profusely for the meal. 

 

“Your girlfriend is very polite and sweet,” Eliza whispers to Kara when Lena excuses herself to the restroom. 

 

“You really showed that you feel that way with how you’ve been treating her,” Alex jokes, unable to hold back on the chance to give her opinion. “I know you’re upset with me because I allowed Kara to tell someone about her identity, but Lena is nothing if not trustworthy. She’s in love with Kara.”

 

“It’s not Lena I worry about,” Eliza calmly insists, and she clutches Kara’s shoulder in an attempt to prevent this discussion from becoming a fight. “Lena comes from a notorious family.”

 

“Here we go.” Alex sighs, tipping her chin up to look at the ceiling as if trying to fly away from the tension her mom is creating.

 

Kara’s soft features transform with harsh lines as she frowns at Eliza. There’s a fierceness in her voice as she whispers defensively, “Lena is nothing like them. She’s good, and would never hurt me or—”

 

“I’m not saying she would.” Eliza argues quietly, her serious tone unwavering as she continues, “As for the rest of them… you already have a target on your back, Kara. You have to be careful. You don’t understand the danger you put yourself in.”

 

“Pretty sure she does.” Alex intervenes under her breath, but she can’t bring herself to look at her mother, so instead she gazes at her feet.

 

“Alex, this isn’t funny.” Eliza snaps coolly, swinging her gaze disapprovingly to her daughter. “What if they find out? Do you think they’ll suddenly embrace Kara with open arms instead of kryptonite? She’s your sister. What were you thinking?”

 

“I knew it. I knew you were mad at me because she came out to Lena!” Alex spits back, anger causing her hands to fist. She throws one out to point to her sister, coming to her aid in the heat of the moment. “But Kara’s right. We can trust her, even if her family is--”

 

“Shh – stop - stop it,” Kara growls, listening to the sound of the toilet flushing upstairs. “She’s coming back. Eliza, this was my choice. It always has been, so don’t be mad at Alex.” She blurts out as Lena descends the stairs.

 

“So, who wants to watch a movie?” Kara asks in a high-pitched squeak when Lena walks back into the room. Her smile is genuine, and she gravitates towards Lena and takes her hand.

 

“I was thinking we could make gingerbread cookies and decorate the tree tonight,” Alex interrupts, standing in front of Eliza in case the heat of the dispute still shows on her face. 

 

Lena’s perceptive and picks up on how Kara’s over compensating for tension with cheer. She stares her straight in the eyes and communicates silently. “Oh, I’m actually pretty tired,” Lena softly admits. “But I don’t want to interfere with any family plans you might have. You should enjoy your usual traditions and I’ll get to bed early tonight.” 

 

“Why don’t you girls go up your bedroom and watch a movie?” Eliza generously suggests and then shoos Alex towards the stairs. “I’ll bring you some snacks in a little while. That way if Lena falls asleep, you won’t have to disrupt her.” 

 

“That sounds great.” Kara’s fast to agree, and she squeezes Lena’s hand reassuringly as she rushes them up the stairs with Alex hot on their heels. They don’t say a word until they’re in Kara’s bedroom, and the door clicks shut.

 

“Are you okay?” Kara asks softly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she searches Lena’s eyes. “You probably sensed the tension but--”

 

“It’s not you,” Alex murmurs dryly, her arms lifting outwards before falling heavily to slap against her thighs. “Our Mom is upset with me, not you guys, so don’t worry. She’ll get over it.”

 

Lena appears to accept Alex’s explanation at face value, even if the tendon in her neck strains outward as she breathes. It’s clear she’s holding back her emotions. “Okay,” Lena succinctly agrees. “I’m going to change into my pajamas now.” She collects a few items from her luggage and then vanishes into the bathroom to put on her flannel pajamas. Letting her hair down, she brushes it thoroughly and then stands in front of the mirror to wash her face and brush her teeth. 

 

Returning to the room, Lena snags a pillow and hugs it against her chest as she settles down in Kara’s bed. 

 

Alex grabs her pajamas from her duffle bag and tosses them over her shoulder. She strides towards the bathroom, but as she reaches the door, Lena mutters, “It’s because I’m a Luthor, and because Kara confided in me.” 

 

“Honestly?” Alex turns, jumping in before Kara can say anything. “It wouldn’t matter who you are. In my mom’s eyes, I should be protecting Kara’s identity from everyone. My Mom never wanted Kara to use her powers. She likes you, Lena. She just thinks I’ve failed Kara.” Alex supplies bluntly, and presses her lips together until they form a white line.

Kara wraps her arms around Lena and shoots Alex a sorrowful, though grateful look. “Eliza told me she thinks you’re sweet.” She confides, and brushes a stray strand of hair behind Lena’s ear. “She’s gonna love you as much as I do. Trust me.”

 

Lena fits her chin into the crook of Kara’s neck and leans into her warmth. “We’ll see,” she insists. “I tend to doubt it. You haven’t even told her I’m pregnant yet. Our baby will be a hybrid, and if I give birth in a regular hospital, that will be obvious to all of the doctors. If you plan to be there and put your name on the birth certificate, it could expose you.” She cringes at the idea of it, the impending reality of what they will have to face. 

 

“That’s far ahead in the future,” Alex argues and waves her hand as if to get rid of the negative energy in the bedroom. “There are plenty of doctors that would protect Kara’s private information. Besides, we could always do a home birth and I could help with delivering the baby.” 

 

Alex sinks down at the edge of Kara’s mattress and glances around at the remnants of their past in their bedroom—a few old stuffed animals, pictures and trophies. “Our mom will warm up to you as she gets to know you, Lena. She has a soft spot in her heart for people like you. It’s just going to take her a few days to put her worry aside. We’re going to concentrate on making new holiday memories in the meantime, because hey… you are part of our family now. We’ll even let you pick the Christmas movie we watch tonight. Right, Kara?” Nudging Kara’s foot, she reaches out for the stack of DVDs on the bureau and passes them off to Lena. 

 

Kara tries not to deflate under the weight of Lena’s fears, but they embed in her mind regardless. She forces a smile onto her face and rubs soothing circles against Lena’s back. “Yes, of course.” Kara whispers, after Alex nudges her again and finally snaps her out of her troubling thoughts. “Alex never lets anyone pick the first movie, so this is kind of a big deal in the Danvers’ household.” It’s a light comment that Kara uses to shift the mood, and she encourages Lena to choose with an approving nod.

 

“Listen to your girlfriend, Lena,” Alex teases, spreading the DVD’s out so she can get a good look at them. “You have no idea how many times Kara tried to bargain with cookies to get this privilege.”

 

Kara scoffs, and shoves Alex playfully as she rolls her eyes. “For the record,” She states, trying not to smile, “She never once let me, and I ate every single one loudly to spite her afterwards, so who’s the real winner here?”

 

“Still me.” Alex smugly retorts, and winks at Lena mischievously. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

 

Lena smiles in genuine amusement and snatches up White Christmas. She takes pride in putting the DVD into the player and then she curls up with her head on Kara’s chest. “I love this movie,” she gushes. 

 

The problems of the day are forgotten as they watch the film, and Eliza pops into the bedroom with a tray of popcorn and soda. They all sit on the floor in a pile of blankets and pillows, sharing the snacks and chatting. 

 

Lena’s asleep before the end of the movie, half on top of Kara and half tucked under the blankets. 

 

“You guys are adorable.” Alex whispers when the credits roll, catching the way Kara watches Lena as she sleeps. “I think you watched her more than the movie.”

 

“I did not.” Kara whispers back, but she’s grinning and there’s no bite to her words. “I don’t want to wake her.” She says, and reaches out towards Alex expectantly. “Can you give me a pillow and I’ll just sleep here with her?”

 

Alex raises her eyebrows and chokes back a laugh as she asks slowly, “On the floor, as a mattress?”

 

“She’s comfortable.” Kara insists, and makes a grabby motion with her fingers. “Pillow.” She demands quietly, fixing Alex with a stern look.

 

Shaking her head, Alex fetches the pillow and passes it off to Kara with a smirk. Lena stirs but doesn’t awaken as she snuggles into Kara. 

 

Just as Alex claims, a few days pass and Lena begins to fit into their family as if she always belonged. Lena likes to wake up early and sneak off to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. Afterward, they spend the mornings curled up with books in the living room. 

 

Their afternoons are reserved for family traditions: baking, decorating and walks in the snow. 

 

It’s late afternoon during the week before Christmas, and they choose to bake Alex’s favorite gingerbread. 

 

They sit at the table to decorate them and Lena glances over at the awkward faces on Kara’s cookies. All of the gingerbread people look dopey, with ruffled eyebrows and crooked smiles. “Those are. . .” Lena tapers off, searching for the appropriate compliment, but she falls short of finding the right words when she notices the buck teeth on one of the gingerbread. “Unique.”

 

“Deformed,” Alex corrects with a snort and leans over Kara’s shoulder to get a gander at the goofiest-looking gingerbread man. “Looks like John Corben after James punched his face in at the Omega Chi Beta Charity ball.” 

 

“Wh- how can you say - they are not deformed!” Kara sputters out indignantly, while squeezing her bag of icing more than she intends. The results are terrible, and now her gingerbread man has one overly large eye. “They’re just filled with Christmas spirit!” She huffs, adding a thin smile that only emphasizes how deranged her creation looks. “He looks--”

 

“Like he’s on crystal meth.” Alex supplies easily, drawing Lena’s attention to the poor thing as she teases her sister mercilessly. “Look at it. Eyes so big it can see the future.”

 

“Maybe he’s sophisticated and wearing a monocle!” Kara fires back, her face reddening from embarrassment.

 

“Don’t try to sugar coat this monstrosity. I mean that literally, not as a pun, by the way.” It’s not very often that Kara doesn’t excel at things, and Alex seizes every opportunity to dive bomb her with the precision of a hawk. “What the hell happened to that one?” She asks, pointing to Kara’s first attempt, which was supposed to be wearing a scarf and a top hat. “He looks like he’s being asphyxiated and enjoying it. Explains the puddle of icing at his feet.”

 

Lena soothes Kara by rubbing both of her shoulders, though she can’t seem to help gawking at the assortment of horrors before her. 

 

One of the gingerbread ladies has buttons and trousers that have squished together to create an oblong shape that looks downright inappropriate. It doesn’t help that the gingerbread lady also appears to be wearing a belt or strap of some kind. “Um, Kara,” Lena frowns. “Maybe you should eat that one now, or… just cover that up with some more icing. Didn’t you say that your mother wants to share some of these with the neighbors?”

 

“Hah, perfect! Let’s give grumpy Mr. Howard the gingerbread man with the big willy,” Alex snickers, and plates her perfectly decorated cookies in front of Kara. 

 

Without saying a word, Kara grabs the cookie, and when Alex opens her mouth to brag, Kara stuffs it into her mouth with a victorious, “Eat a - uh, you know… that!”

 

Alex is torn between choking and laughing, because that’s the closest Kara has ever gotten to swearing. She coughs and crunches in equal measures and wipes the crumbs from her face with the back of her hand. “Okay okay, I’m done teasing you.” Alex vows, but she’s crossing her fingers and smirking as she says it.

 

“Well, I guess these are for us then, if they’re not good enough to share.” Kara stiffly remarks, and moves her plate to the counter. She’s not really hurt, but her ears are a dark, wine red and her cheeks are pink.

 

“Oh, I’ll eat yours,” Lena announces without batting an eyelash and slides over to the counter to select one of the cookies. She eats in the most erotic way possible, all while her eyes remain steady on Kara. Her pupils blow wide with need as she licks her lips, and the scents of her arousal are in the air, almost overpowering the aroma of cookies. 

 

Alex clears her throat and wraps up her batch in cellophane. “I’ll just go deliver these to the neighbors before Mom gets home,” she mutters and then rushes away before she witnesses any kissing. 

 

Kara barely acknowledges Alex as the atmosphere in the kitchen thickens. It feels charged with electricity, and Kara’s eyes avidly follow Lena’s tongue unabashedly. It’s been days since they’ve properly had the chance to connect, and the heady scent of Lena’s essence is intoxicating. “Rrip ehvahn vrrahdh bem, sem rrip dhugh ugem, Lena.” Kara rumbles, stepping closer to run her thumb along her lower lip. “Okao gahv khap vo ehflum rrip.”

 

It’s teasing, to speak her own language, to watch the confusion and intrigue on Lena’s face, but Kara clarifies as she leans down to brush her lips against the shell of Lena’s ear, husking seductively, “I said you smell so good. I want you right now, Lena.” Kara’s hands clasp her hips, and she lifts Lena effortlessly onto the table as she finishes, “Please allow me to taste you.”

 

Lena lies back on the table, biting her lip coyly as she hesitates to pull her skirt up. “What if someone walks in?” she asks, although her hooded eyelids and fragrant arousal are proof she requires little convincing to continue. “It’s been so hard these past few days, not having enough time alone with you.”

 

“I have super reflexes.” Kara reminds her with a hungry grin, while her hands take over by gliding up Lena’s thighs to push her skirt out of the way. Kara groans at the sight of Lena’s soaked panties, and can’t stop the way her fingers trace the slick arousal, pushing into the fabric lightly to feel Lena’s warmth. She’s practically throbbing with need, and Kara doesn’t waste another second as she pulls the garment off of Lena, tucking it into her pocket as she bends down to kiss and nip her way up Lena’s inner thighs. “Zrhueiao.” Kara breathlessly states, parting Lena’s labia to see how swollen and sensitive her clit is. “Beautiful.” She repeats in English, and takes Lena into her mouth.

 

Kara’s soft tongue laps at the underside of Lena’s clit, then circles around it, feeling the shape of it like candy. She uses her lips to draw it further into her mouth and sucks on it with a moan. Lena tastes like salt and summer – sweet, warm and slightly tangy. Kara forgets her composure, and hooks her arms under Lena, grasping onto her hips. She pulls Lena greedily against her face as she devours her noisily, sliding her tongue down to tease Lena’s entrance before lavishing her little bud with hedonistic enthusiasm.

 

Lena’s spine curls and her legs drape over Kara’s back, the soles of her feet resting against warm muscle while Kara kisses her pussy. With her eyes rolling back, Lena she cranes her neck, desperate to find the right contortion of her body for accepting such exquisite pleasure. “Whenever you do this, all I can think about is how much I need to come in your mouth,” Lena groans. “It relaxes me enough that your knot can really expand inside of me afterwards.” 

 

Kara’s voracious, moving her tongue languidly just to hear the way Lena’s breath hitches. Every shuddering spasm, or twitch of her legs tells Kara she’s doing good, and she encourages Lena’s hands into her hair. There’s something wonderful in controlling Lena’s pleasure with her mouth, and Kara finds herself craving the taste of her more and more. “Oh you better,” Kara asserts lasciviously, weaving one hand under Lena to push two fingers into her clenching pussy. She spreads them as she thrusts inside, crooking her fingertips to coax Lena closer to the edge. “I want to taste it, Lena.”

 

Lena’s hips undulate in readiness, hastening as Kara caresses her inside and out. Her pussy wraps around Kara’s fingers, tight with the desire for release. Moaning in shameless enjoyment of this, Lena grasps Kara’s shoulder and lifts her head to watch Kara take her to the brink of pleasure. “Please, Kara,” Lena keens, with eyes glazed from passion and dark locks disheveled from their spontaneous escapade. “Please, please, I need you to – ” 

 

With a whimper that becomes a grittier groan of orgasm, Lena’s pussy clasps Kara’s fingers in their wet warmth and she comes undone. Her legs jitter from the intensity of it and she clings to Kara.

 

Kara indulges in Lena’s juices, satisfying her craving for the time being as she encourages Lena to ride her mouth until the residual spasms of her climax finish. She gradually twists her fingers, massaging the velvety muscles inside of Lena’s pussy until they relax around her. “You are definitely my favorite treat.” Kara lilts flirtatiously, licking her thumb and the rest of her fingers clean. She takes Lena’s hand to help her sit upright and they kiss, gentle but passionate with each other. 

 

Lena latches onto Kara’s side, waiting it out until her pulse returns to normal. She slides off the table and smooths out her skirt in case anyone walks in on them and draws conclusions. “We should air out the room, and then do you want to go upstairs?” Lena croons, in a velvety and dark voice. “We should take full advantage of having the house to ourselves.” 

 

“Yes,” Kara hurriedly states, rushing around the kitchen to open the windows. She lights one of the large, festive candles that smell of spiced wine, and sets it in the middle of the table. “There,” she declares proudly. “This should help.” Kara grabs Lena’s hand and they take the stairs together, the thrill of being alone heightening their already potent urges.

 

Lena removes her heels, and flops down on Kara’s bed at the same as she struggles to raise her blouse over her head. She strips her skirt off next, then fumbles with her bra, and sprawls naked while she waits for Kara to undress. “I want you so badly right now, Kara Danvers,” Lena intones, watching Kara awkwardly hop on one foot, becoming downright clumsy in her eagerness to have sex. “You know, you’re a bit of a spaz when I’m naked,” she teases with a small grin. “And, well, a lot of the time, actually.”

 

Kara grins crookedly, her cheeks red with embarrassment as she finally pulls off her jeans and flings them haphazardly into a shelf by accident. They topple a stack of books and she mutters “shoot” under her breath. With haste, Kara removes her socks and ruins her shirt when she tries to rip it off, scattering buttons every which way as she declares, “In my defense, your beauty is truly distracting.” She flings her bra behind her and practically falls onto the bed beside Lena with an eager. “I’m all yours.”

 

Lena raises her left eyebrow and a flirty smile quirks her lips. “I like the sound of that,” she admits. “Though your entire beta fan club at school, and all of the untold millions who lust after Supergirl will be incredibly disappointed.” She ghosts her fingers up and down Kara’s arms, much less rushed now that they can touch without the risk of anyone walking in.

 

Arousal is already all over Lena, dampening the sheets below when she spreads her legs to give Kara a better view of her pussy. Her lower lips are so swollen that they are parted enough to show off the blushing pink inside her vagina. “This belongs to you,” Lena whispers. 

 

The sight of Lena dripping and ready is enough to evoke a guttural groan from Kara but it’s Lena’s statement that makes her heart race. Kara’s pulse echoes in her ears as she gruffly requests, “Say that again.” She feels high, Lena’s pheromones are so strong that they’re clouding her mind with a blissful haze and Kara can feel her own urges surfacing with an intensity that should alarm her. “Tell me everything you’ve been fantasizing about since we got here.” There’s a confidence to Kara’s voice that carries smugness when she shares, “I know what you’ve been doing when you shower every morning. I can hear you, Lena.”

 

Lena’s neck burns with a scalding blush that travels up to her cheeks. “I had to find some way to avoid embarrassing myself with you while I’m a guest in your home,” she insists. “It’s hard to sleep next to you every night, but not sleep with you. I keep waking up in the middle of the night with soaked panties. You have no idea the amount of laundry I’m going to have to do—” 

 

Kara’s lips quirk at the corners as she fights a grin, and she leans back casually and hums low in her throat. “Oh trust me I—I know exactly how hard it is. You might discover your panties are uh, extra soaked in your laundry bag when we get back.” She doesn’t look at Lena as she discloses this information. 

 

“Kara.” Lena merely laughs in wide-eyed shock and then lowers her hand to her pussy to flick her sensitive clit. “As for my particular fantasies, I keep dreaming about you claiming me,” she reveals. “You have me in the deep breeding position, with my face against the bed. You finally mark my neck and leave your scent all over me—” 

 

“Every night I think about opening the window before bed and just flying us out of it when everyone’s asleep so I can take you under the moonlight.” Kara turns then to meet Lena’s gaze and bites her lip as another spike of arousal ravages her system. “Rao.” Kara rasps throatily, “I want to claim you so badly. Every time I don’t it’s like my blood is on fire and I’m losing my mind.”

 

Lena thrums her finger over her lower lips, then separates them for Kara to see more of her internally. “It’s torture,” Lena admits. “Every time we have sex, it soothes me, but afterwards I experience feelings of need that go far beyond the desire for more pleasure. My body wants you to stake claim, and when you don’t, my hormones make me even more desperate for it.” She gathers up her long hair and moves it away from the column of her throat, then touches the nape of her neck, the spot Kara must bite.

 

Shifting onto her side, Kara pushes her fingers under Lena’s to feel the tension there at the nape of her neck. Almost like a long muscle knot, hard beneath Lena’s skin, ready and waiting for Kara to stake her claim. The pressure of Kara’s teeth will release a new flood of hormones within Lena when she bites down, and Kara feels her jaw clamping shut as she imagines doing it now. She trembles with need and pulls Lena towards her, kissing her roughly, her mouth demanding as her hands roam down to Lena’s chest. Kara squeezes and palms her breasts possessively, pinching and tugging her nipples until Lena gasps against her lips. “Now.” Kara growls, her voice hoarse as she whispers. “I need to be inside you now.”

 

Lena raises herself up onto her hands and knees, choosing the position Kara prefers most – the one closest to the deeper bend which is a declaration of her complete submission to Kara. “Take me,” she begs in a soft purr. “Take me, Kara.” Her pussy is flooding with warm and slick arousal, and when Kara’s fingers drift down to the opening to her vagina, they come away heavily saturated in it. “You can push fully in,” Lena whimpers, and lowers her face closer to the bed, but she knows better than to go further into that posture of total surrender. 

 

Kara’s behind her in an instant, lining herself up with a low moan that changes as she plunges into Lena with one, quick roll of her pelvis. She’s so hard it’s painful, and Lena’s liquid heat simultaneously soothes and inflames her. “You’re so wet for me.” She whimpers, and locks her hands around Lena’s hips. Kara pulls her backwards into every strong thrust, burying herself so fully she can’t get any deeper, but her urges demand more and so she tries, rocking harder until her thighs are slamming into Lena’s backside, jolting her forward into the mattress that creaks beneath them.

 

Lena holds onto the headboard, her knuckles going white from the tension. She buckles into a lower bend, with her ass and head higher than the middle of her back. “Kara,” she groans.  
Without any need to use a condom now, the sensations are even more intense than Kara remembers. The raw and silken glide of Lena’s muscles over her length is beyond pleasurable. “I forgot how good this feels without a condom,” Lena husks, speaking aloud Kara’s thoughts. “I never want to use them again.” 

 

“We don’t have to use them for months.” Kara realizes aloud, picking up the pace as the excitement of that fact washes over her. Being bare inside Lena is exquisite and Kara can’t deny she wants it this way, with every fiber of her being. It’s primal and exhilarating, the way she leans over Lena, one hand splaying on the small of Lena’s back to keep her ass up and pin her beneath her weight. Kara’s hips move faster than any human’s, ploughing into Lena’s sensitive cunt with harder, insistent thrusts. “I can come inside you again.” She voices thickly, her tone a seductive husk.

 

“After you claim me, and our lives are more stable, this is what I want,” Lena rasps. “Every time.” From the way Lena says it, the implications are clear: she would breed again and again and give in to all of her most extreme omega drives. “I want you to breed me,” Lena confirms, so far gone to lust and the merging of their bodies, the fulfillment of having sex. Kara’s cock slams in with unbridled speed. Lena’s pussy convulses warmly around it, not in climax but in voluntary little pulsations. 

 

“Lena…” Kara groans, overwhelmed by the knowledge of how much they both want this. It’s so much more than a want, it’s an insatiable need that spurs Kara on, until she’s driving her cock roughly into Lena with such intensity that the whole bed thumps against the wall. She presses her face against Lena’s back, her short, sharp breaths punctuated as she snarls softly, “You’re mine.” 

 

The urge to claim her is so strong that Kara bites down on Lena’s shoulder, licking and sucking at the salty taste of her skin. She’s ready to knot, Kara can feel it at the base of her girthy length, the pressure of swelling. She shouldn’t do it, there’s no telling when Eliza or Alex will be home, yet Kara can’t seem to control the way she bucks. Forcing herself into Lena with an animalistic cry ensures she knots inside her as she comes.

 

The forming of the thick knot sets off Lena’s orgasm and her pussy closes around Kara, holding her in deep. Lena scream-moans in satisfaction and Kara clutches onto her. Kara’s seed pumps into her in long spurts, which still continue as they both settle down in the bed together. Lena glances down at herself and the place where Kara’s nestled into her. “It’s never been like this before,” she breathlessly observes. “Kara, your knot is bigger than ever before, and all of your pleasure… I can feel it. There’s so much.” 

 

Kara feels slightly delirious, and she nuzzles into Lena with whispery moans. “I—I think your pheromones are having more of an effect on me. The stronger they get…” Her arms coil around Lena, smoothing over her abdomen and then southwards as she angles her head to gaze upon their joined bodies. Lena’s stretched wide, her labia red and swollen and her clit stiff and glistening. It’s like a beacon to Kara, and her fingers slip slide over the hard peak, fast and relentless. Lena’s poor cunt clenches tighter from the stimulation, and Kara gasps at the sensation. “I want to feel you come for me again.” She lilts lustfully, circling Lena’s clit more firmly.

 

“Oh god, Kara,” Lena whimpers, denying her nothing but at the same time too sensitive for all of this extra attention. Her clit responds to Kara’s touch, and it must ache to be so full and come again, but Lena does it. Soft, screaming groans accompany the peak, and her pussy spasms enough that Kara empties more semen into her. It tires Lena out so much that she becomes limp, focused only on the throbbing of her vagina and the heat of her skin. 

 

“Good. So good, Lena.” Kara whispers against Lena’s ear, keeping one arm around Lena as she drapes the blankets over them and basks in the warmth of her afterglow. She’s calmer than she’s been in days, from experiencing a euphoria she hadn’t been expecting. They snuggle without falling asleep, and even if they both feel boneless after such an intense mating, they’re content to share this moment.

 

Lena finds the end of the blanket and pulls it over their bodies after they have cooled. She turns to kiss Kara, and just as their lips barely graze, Alex knocks on the bedroom door. 

 

“Hey, I didn’t want to disturb you, but Mom just called to say she was running late, and now she’s on the way home,” Alex calls out at the top of her voice. “So you probably have about ten minutes to make yourselves decent and to figure out how to make the bedroom smell less like a sex den.”

 

Kara goes rigid, her eyes widen comically and she hisses under her breath, “Oh Rao, I didn’t even hear Alex get home.” They weren’t exactly quiet, either, and she feels her face flame as she yells back, “Okay thanks!”

 

The scent of the room is the least of their problems as Kara shifts to sit up and realizes she can’t separate from Lena. Her knot hasn’t even begun to reduce and they’re completely locked together. “Oh-oh no.” She mumbles sheepishly. “We’re - uh, we’re stuck like this.”

 

“Kara.” Lena reaches for a second blanket and her top, then shoves Kara’s shirt into her hands. “We can just cuddle in together and pretend we’re in the middle of watching a movie,” she explains, coming up with a lie on the spot. “Alex clearly knows what we did. She’s already complicit in all of this, so we might as well ask her to come in and spray the bedroom. If you can stand the certain embarrassment and teasing, our story will be even more believable if Alex pretends she’s been hanging out with us. She can divert your mom – ”

 

“Nooo. There has to be another way.” Kara whines, already dying from the thought of it. It’s a good plan, and would certainly sell the lie but there’s no way she could face her sister right now. “I can’t see Alex when I’m inside you. That’s so weird. That’s—that’s—” She sputters, her face the color of her cape. “I’ll die!” She insists, tugging on her shirt as if that will somehow help her come up with a better plan. It doesn’t, and she cringes as a certain hopelessness washes over her. “Alex!” She yells, her voice cracking from mortification, “We uh, we need your help with uh— with—”

 

Alex opens the door and then jumps away from it as she realizes Kara and Lena are still in bed. “You’re an idiot,” Alex grumbles out, blindly crossing through the room to find the spray in Kara’s bureau. It’s like she instinctively knows what Kara might ask her to do. She opens all of the windows in the bedroom and frigid wind blows inside, lifting some of the heavy scents from the air. “And I hate you for this. Just you. Not Lena. She’s pregnant and those hormones must be hard on her, but you have suppressor tablets from Professor Grant that I know you haven’t been using! I should tell Mom about this, but I won’t, because she’s only going to blame me for your screw-ups. It would be a Christmas miracle if you could learn to keep it in your pants for once—” 

 

“Hey that’s not fair—” Kara growls low in her throat at the implications, feeling Lena tense from the accusations. “That’s not what it sounds like.” She quickly corrects, but she knows this might hurt Lena and she glares at her sister. “Alex, I have been taking my suppressors.” Kara blurts, but her head hangs in shame at her sister’s wrath. It’s all the more awkward because she’s joined to Lena, and neither of them can escape it. “Please I—I know I messed up, okay? But I can prove it. Look in the bag. The zip at the back.”

 

Alex grits her teeth. She grabs Kara’s backpack and rummages angrily through it, pulling out a bottle that rattles. She wrenches the top off to look inside and finds it two-thirds empty. Frowning at the pills, she stuffs them back into Kara’s bag to toss aside.

 

“I swear I — I don’t know why they’re not working the way they should, and I know you’re pissed at me but please...” Kara trails off, her sad eyes following Alex as she paces the room. “I didn’t mean—”

 

“You never do.” Alex snaps, stopping mid stomp to sigh heavily. She runs her hands through her hair and crosses her arms defensively. “Fine,” She grunts, sticking her chin out stubbornly. “I’ll help, but I’m doing this for Lena. She doesn’t deserve to be humiliated just because you can’t control yourself.”

 

“Alex, this was my fault too,” Lena interrupts, though her voice is subdued. “I could have stopped it and I chose to continue. We both acted irresponsibly, and we’re sorry you’ve been put in a position yet again where you have to cover for us—”

 

Alex softens from the apology and moves towards the window again just as Eliza’s car comes to a stop in the driveway. “Mom is home,” she reports. She pulls open the drawers on her nightstand and takes out a pack of twizzlers, M&Ms and mini candy bars. Then she flips on the TV and shoves a random DVD into the player. 

 

To show that she’s willing to move on from the fight, Alex tosses a pack of Kara’s favorite candy in her direction. 

 

Soon after the door swings open, Eliza ascends the stairs and comes to the door of their bedroom. “I decided to pick up some burgers on the way home,” she announces, glancing from Alex to Kara expectantly, and waiting for Kara to shoot off the bed in excitement over the food. 

 

“Oh, Mom, we kinda ate a lot of candy,” Alex lies, holding up her bag of twizzlers and stuffing another into her mouth to chew. “We’re finishing up a movie. Shouldn’t take long.”

 

“You know how I get at this time of year.” Kara forces a laugh and her smile is too wide and strains at the corners. ”I always gorge myself on sugar.”

 

“Oh, well I guess we can have them after your movie is done.” Eliza’s voice is soft but her eyes are sharp and she notes the way Kara looks over her shoulder as she smiles and Lena is staring far too intently at the TV.

 

“Yeah, and we made gingerbread cookies too.” Alex states, her tone dry as if they’re not all freaking out at the situation they’re currently in. “Try not to scream when you see Kara’s.” Alex adds with a slight smirk. “Worse than last years.”

 

“How can that be?” Eliza asks before she can stop herself. “I mean, they’re always very special.”

 

“You got that right.” Alex quips, then shrugs. “You should freeze them for next Halloween.”

 

“Lena’s are beautiful,” Kara suddenly blurts. “And Alex already gave hers to the neighbors.”

 

Alex pops up from her seat and hurries over to Eliza, guiding her by the elbow. “I have to see your face when you get a look at Kara’s gingerbread monstrosities.”

 

With a wild-eyed glance back at Kara, Alex disappears into the hall and pulls the door firmly shut behind her and Eliza. 

 

Lena resumes breathing and frowns up at Kara with a critical squint of her eyes. “Next time we’re in the mood, you fly me to the middle of a field. I don’t care if I get hypothermia,” she announces. “It’ll be better than the mortification we just experienced.”

 

“Yes. I won’t let this happen again, I swear. I’m so sorry. I’ll take us somewhere nice, no hypothermia, or—humiliation or anything bad.” Kara rambles, her face a map of worry and remorse. She rubs Lena’s shoulders and tries to relax her as best she can, but she’s so anxious about their current state that she can’t seem to slow her own heartbeat. “Have I ruined your whole trip here?” she mumbles self-consciously.

 

Lena’s eyebrows scrunch together in amusement and confusion. “No, of course not,” she laughs. “I’m having a wonderful time with you and your family. In fact, it’s been better than any Christmas vacation I can remember. I just wish your sister hadn’t caught us, not to mention your mother just walking in. She’s going to think I used my omega wiles to seduce you. Which I suppose isn’t far from the truth—”

 

“Oh please, I was into you long before I knew you were an omega.” Kara teases back, and there’s a truth to her words that shines in her eyes. She brushes a kiss to Lena’s forehead. “Eliza’s not going to think you seduced me. You’re incredible, and bright, and just… perfect, Lena. If you talk to Eliza about your research, she’s going to realize just how stellar you are at pretty much everything.” Kara finds herself grinning back at Lena, the tension from before slowly ebbing as they lie together.

 

“I am not perfect, but I’ll take the compliment,” Lena grins and settles against Kara while they wait out the humiliating situation. 

 

It takes almost half an hour but Kara’s knot finally reduces and she slips out of Lena carefully. It’s a relief and a loss all at once, and Kara misses the connection immediately. 

 

“Are you okay?” Kara asks softly, tracing invisible patterns across Lena’s hip.

 

“I might have stopped breathing for a little while because I was thinking about how we still have to go downstairs and face your mom and Alex. But I suppose the whole embarrassing situation could be so much worse,” Lena groans and drags the blanket away from their laps so they can fully separate. “In spite of everything that just happened, I have to admit I’m looking forward to tonight.” 

 

“It’s been long time since I’ve decorated a Christmas tree,” Lena admits with a shy nibble of her lip. “It’s.. . . nice having a family. I mean – at least, spending the holidays with yours.” She stretches when she stands, loosening up her back and calf muscles. Hesitating when she sees Kara’s forlorn face, Lena moves in to kiss her. With a soft swipe of her tongue that pushes into Kara’s mouth, Lena leans back and smiles joyfully. “Do you think we’ll come here next year with our daughter?”

 

“Oh we’re totally going to be here next year. It’s family tradition.” Kara enthusiastically states, rising onto her knees to come face to face with Lena. Her eyes are big and her hands find Lena’s as she whispers hopefully, “We can build the baby a snowman and let her decorate cookies. We can hang little baubles on the tree, and I can pretend to be Santa, and like, fly down in a red suit and bring her first present. And we can get her festive little onesies and take so many pictures—”

 

“Don’t forget that she’s only going to be six months old by Christmas time next year,” Lena points out, although she’s so enamored with Kara and it shows in the dreamy way she stares. Her grin widens and she places both of their hands over the lower part of her belly. 

 

They kiss again, and get dressed, and then they both head downstairs to decorate the tree. 

 

Lena appreciates all of the ornaments and handles them with care, and Eliza proudly shows off the ones that Kara made – noodles glued to craft paper, beads attached to pipe-cleaner in the shape of a wreath, and other keepsakes from Kara’s childhood. 

 

There’s gleam in Eliza’s eye that suggests Kara will definitely be on the receiving end of a strong lecture later, but for the most part, decorating the tree seems to be a bonding experience. 

 

Everyone is caught up in the fun, so much so that they never hear a car pull up in the driveway. 

 

The bell rings unexpectedly and Eliza hurries to the door, cautiously drawing it open. 

 

Lex stands on the front porch, wiping his feet on the rug. “Is this the Danvers’ household?” he asks. “I’m looking for my sister, Lena.” 

 

Eliza stiffly steps aside to allow him to enter and shows him into the living room. 

 

“It seems like you are all in the holiday spirit,” Lex observes, with a smug glance at the tinsel, and the towering Christmas tree that barely has enough room for all of the ornaments that the Danvers’ family has collected over the years. “Lena always wanted to celebrate, but my parents were atheists. I cut down a tree once or twice and dragged it into our living room when we were kids just to please her.” 

 

“Lex,” Lena breathes out from her place on the floor, where she kneels beside a large plastic container with glass Christmas baubles. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I figured you would be disappointed if we didn’t spend the holidays together, so I came home from my business trip a little sooner than I planned,” Lex shrugs and folds his hands in front of him. 

 

“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you some eggnog?” Eliza offers, and her alarm only reveals itself when Lex’s attention shifts to Lena. She glances at both of her daughters and then hurries into the kitchen to get the promised eggnog. 

 

Lex settles down on the couch and accepts the glass of eggnog from Eliza. 

 

Kara’s fighting every impulse in her body to rush at Lex, and if not for Alex subtly placing her hand on her arm, she would have him slammed against the wall already.

 

“What a nice surprise.” Alex remarks, forcing a smile onto her face in the hopes of convincing Kara to do the same. She shares a look with her, then pinches her out of sight to snap her out of the murderous rage.

 

“Yeah, it’s a pity you didn’t call Lena first.” Kara grits out. Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, and her hand can’t reach Lena’s without drawing everyone’s attention. She feels overwhelmingly powerless in the moment.

 

Alex pinches her again in warning, and Kara adds, “You know, so we could have saved you some of the cookies we baked.” 

 

From the sickly sweet way she says it, Alex will know the only kind Kara would ever give him would be laced with sedatives. 

 

“What a shame,” Lex drawls with a snicker, mocking Kara in his subtle way. “I missed cookie time! But the eggnog is delicious and more than makes up for it. It might be the best I ever tasted.”

 

Lena shifts onto the couch beside Lex, seemingly curious and also bewildered by his behavior. “My brother doesn’t give compliments lightly,” she explains. “So your eggnog must be excellent.”

 

“It is,” Lex confirms and takes another swallow, then turns to Kara with a friendly smile. He takes two envelopes from his pocket and passes them over to Kara and Alex. “Gifts for the two of you,” he muses. “I’m very grateful that my sister has friends who were kind enough to generously open their home to her.” 

 

Alex grabs both envelopes with suspicion and compensates for her rash actions with a huge smile. “Thank you,” she replies. “That was really thoughtful of you.” 

 

“Oh that reminds me,” Eliza says softly, clasping her hands together. “Kara, grab a bag for Lena’s gifts. We don’t want her leaving without them—”

 

Kara has to bite her lip to stop it from trembling. Rage and sadness well up within her and she clears her throat as she comes to terms with the fact that Lex is robbing them not just of their Christmas together, but their chance to tell Eliza that she’ll be a Grandmother by the next one. “Right. Yes. Right.” Kara says almost mechanically, as if her mouth is working on autopilot and her mind is glitching. She clears her throat and stands up a moment later, plastering a smile on her face as she waves towards the hallway, “I’ll just uh, collect them, and have them ready for when you go.”

 

She walks stiffly, her sad eyes catching Lena’s gaze before she looks away and rushes up the stairs. She can’t cry, she won’t let herself. It’ll cause suspicion in Lex and then all hell will break loose, and she won’t put Lena through that. She’s put Lena through enough already. 

 

So Kara gathers her gifts that haven’t made it under the tree yet and takes one of her shirts that Lena wore the first night she stayed over, and tucks it under her pillow like a lovesick teenager, because the thought of sleeping in bed without the scent of Lena feels unbearable now.

 

“I told them I was going to help you.” 

 

Lena stands in the doorway with her arms crossed while she watches Kara from afar. “I don’t want to go home with Lex,” she acknowledges. “I had my heart set on spending the holidays with you.” Her quiet strength shines through her eyes and she shrugs one shoulder. “But at least my brother doesn’t seem to realize what’s going on between us. That means you can fly to my window later tonight. It’s five-thirty now, so I should be home and settled in bed no later than seven. Do we have a date?” 

 

“Yes.” Kara readily agrees, and bounds towards Lena to wrap her in her arms. “I had my heart set on you being here too. I was looking forward opening gifts and, well — everything.” Kara finishes with a sigh. 

 

It’s risky, but Kara takes a moment just to kiss Lena, slowly but chastely, as if promising her more when they see each other in a few hours. “If you need me, for anything, text or call at any time and I will be right there, okay? Even if it’s just a craving.” 

 

Lena bravely firms her jaw and nods, taking all of this much better than Kara expected, although there’s a glint of devastation in her eyes when she thinks Kara’s glancing away. 

 

Kara’s hand falls to Lena’s stomach and she sinks to her knees to listen to the fast paced heartbeat one last time in her room. “I’ll carry your bags downstairs.” Kara murmurs, and slings one over her shoulder while she hauls Lena’s suitcase in her other hand.

 

Lena follows to say her goodbyes to Alex and Eliza, who both look concerned for their own reasons. 

 

Lena stays strong for Kara’s sake when she approaches Lex.

 

Lex puts his hand against the small of Lena’s back and guides her out to his car. His driver dashes out to take Lena’s bags from Kara and tosses them into the trunk. 

 

“Thank you again for your hospitality,” Lex calls out to the Danvers family, and soon Lena finds herself sitting beside him in the back seat of the limousine. 

 

“It was nice of you to stay for a cup of eggnog,” Lena remarks, while she stares out the window at the snow drifting down in wide spirals, dusting the streets and fields in pure white. 

 

“Well, it was nice of the Danvers to keep you for a few days,” Lex replies, acting strangely charitable, and even gentle in how he rests a hand on her shoulder. “Besides, it made you happy. Everything I do in life is to make us happy as a family.” 

 

Lena resists the urge to smile, but in the end his kindness wins her over. She’s still naïve with him, far too trusting for her own good, in spite of how she recognizes this fault within herself. It’s not easy to correct it, not when he gives her the slightest bit of affection, because he’s one of the few people who has ever offered her any. 

 

He metes out rewards and punishment with the same hand, like a magician who makes a coin appear, delighting her until the moment he takes it away. 

 

“I appreciate that you were kind to the Danvers,” Lena mutters, and he slides his arm around her shoulder, holding her in a protective way that she allows, because she’s still taken in by his illusion. 

 

She’s thinking about future holidays, and the possibility that Kara’s family will come together with her own and somehow miraculously get along. 

 

It’s a stupid and impossible fantasy, but still one Lena indulges in, if only because the alternative is horrible and unthinkable. 

 

“I do have manners,” Lex insists with a faint but arrogant smile, pressing a kiss to the side of Lena’s head. “And it is the Christmas season, after all. I also have a fondness for eggnog, so that might have been the deciding factor. The bourbon Eliza used was top quality. One thing I will say for your impoverished friends: in spite of their lack of money, they certainly don’t skimp where it’s important.”

 

“They aren’t impoverished,” Lena softly argues, and a crease of confusion forms between her eyebrows. “You know, not everyone inherits their father’s money. Some people actually have to work for it.”

 

Lex snorts at that, rolling his eyes as he reaches for a silver bucket of ice. He uses tongs to drop a few cubes into a glass and pours himself a drink of water. “As if it wasn’t work putting up with our father all of those years,” he remarks. “Then again, he was easier on you. You were such a Daddy’s girl when you weren’t desperate for my attention.”

 

Lena falls silent now that their talk has shifted into criticism. She draws in a shallow breath and focuses on the snowflakes, and the sounds of the raging wind instead of her brother. 

 

Drifting to sleep, Lena awakens when they arrive at their destination, which she finds isn’t their home. 

 

“This is my early Christmas surprise for you,” Lex explains with a gesture at the towering apartment building Lena fails to recognize. “We aren’t going home, because I’ve found you an alpha. Your wait is finally at an end.”

 

Lena flinches in alarm, eyes wide and her mouth tight as Lex snaps his fingers. The door to the limousine opens, and two of Lex’s hired goons grab Lena. She throws her body weight around, desperate to escape and run, but they wedge her between them and cover her mouth. 

 

“Please don’t make them be rough with you,” Lex lilts, as if he truly cares about Lena getting hurt, then he snaps his fingers, and the goons drop her in a show of good will. “Listen, sis, there’s a reason for what I do. You’re going to discover that someday. I have your best interests at heart, because if you continue to experience long heats and lonely nights, some unworthy alpha is going to come along. And you’ll be so hormone-addled that you might let that terrible alpha claim you. That would shame our family. I had to make sure I found the most advantageous match for you.” 

 

“You mean the most advantageous match for _you._ We both know you would _only_ choose a match that would benefit you,” Lena crossly snaps. “If you wanted me happy, you would have offered me a choice.” 

 

The goons try to grab her again and she jabs one of them in the ribs, but the other goon just lifts her and forces her arms against her sides. 

 

Prodding her, the goons march her forward and into the lobby of the apartment building. “Conveniently, your bags were already packed for quite a _long_ winter break at the Danvers,” Lex hums. “So you should be all set with clothes for the time being.”

 

Two men who look like bellhops hurry out to the limousine to gather up Lena’s bags, and they join Lena along with the goons and Lex in an elevator. 

 

“The penthouse, please,” Lex requests, and one of his goons hits the corresponding button. As the elevator climbs higher, Lena’s stomach sinks and she tries to fight back her fear. On the outside, she appears stern and even detached, with her chin held high and eyes not at all clouded by self-pity. 

 

The goons shove her forward into the penthouse, where two matronly but strong-looking women await them. 

 

“Please bathe and dress her,” Lex instructs, inspecting the house with only casual interest. “As I discussed with your employer, I’ll leave some of my personal staff with you until my sister is completely settled in.” 

 

The goons pass Lena over to the older women, but they follow to the spacious bathroom, standing guard outside. 

 

The matrons don’t speak to Lena as they undress her, their neutral faces avoiding her body when they push her down into a tub overflowing with sweet-smelling suds. Lena uses the time to consider her escape options, and to take stock of what she might be able to use as a weapon, but the bathroom seems spartan and only contains a few items like soap and washcloths. 

 

One of the matrons washes Lena’s hair, yanking unnecessarily hard at it when she notes that Lena’s eyes are straying. 

 

“Who is your employer?” Lena tries asking, but both of the women are silent on that matter. 

 

She steps from the bath as soon as they allow it, gathering her into a thick towel, and then the matronly servants set about drying her hair and clothing her. 

 

Lena almost sobs when she sees what they have chosen for her to wear: it’s a completely sheer and gauzy night gown, one ideal for ripping.

 

The matrons whisper to each other and to Lena’s relief, they produce a dress — still revealing, but something she could wear in public. 

 

“You will join our employer for dinner first,” one of the matrons helpfully explains, then powders Lena’s face and applies both lipstick and gloss. 

 

Lena wonders what time it is, and if Kara’s flying to her bedroom window yet. Even if Kara has already arrived, it will be impossible for her to know where to search for Lena. By the time Kara discovers what has happened to her, Lena might already be claimed. 

 

It’s this thought about Kara, which Lena has been avoiding, that finally causes her to shed a tear. 

 

The matrons lead Lena into a parlor, where Lex is sitting and indulging in a few holiday cookies. “Looks like I get a cookie after all,” he remarks, and then fully looks up at Lena. “Wow, Lena, you are truly stunning. And doesn’t this place look worthy of an omega like you?” He waves around at all of the luxury, the gold on the furniture and the crystal chandelier, the fine curtains and embroidery. 

 

Lena loathes him, and her shaking hands give away just how upset she is, but she clasps them together and takes in her surroundings with indifference. “I hope you’re happy with whatever you got in return,” she sniffs. “I expect you sold me to the highest bidder.”

 

Lex chuckles at that and stands up, then fixes his tie in one of the long decorative mirrors in the parlor. “I didn’t sell you,” he considers. “That would imply that you are the property of your new alpha, and I would never treat my sister like property. You are still a Luthor, and if you belong to anyone, it is to me. To mother.” 

 

Lena glowers at that and strides to the window while she has the chance to move around freely. She recognizes the area of the city, even if she’s unfamiliar with who might live at this address. “I want to go home,” she softly pleads, voice breaking. 

 

This isn’t an attempt to manipulate Lex. It’s a swift regression to who she was as a child, making requests of him that he often pandered to with attentiveness and delight. 

 

“Please, Lex,” Lena whispers and her jaw shakes as tears spring to her eyes, no longer to be denied. “ _Please,_ take me home with you.” 

 

Lex pauses and in the glass of the windowpane, Lena sees different emotions on his face. “To what end?” Lex asks. “So you can select an alpha you deem fit? I’ll be honest with you, Lena, no one is good enough for you. But you must be claimed. Mother considers it negligence on my part if I allow you to return to school. If that happens, a crazed alpha is likely to brutalize you and claim you against your will. Is that what you want?”

 

“That is what _this_ will be like for me!” Lena cries out and throws her arms out to indicate her current situation. 

 

“You are being dramatic,” Lex huffs and dips his hand into a dish with fancy spiced nuts. He’s convinced of his own view, and Lena’s arguments will be useless now, a complete waste of her energies. 

 

Lena finds her composure and iron will. She licks her lips and wipes her face, then studies the night skyline again and plots an escape. 

 

“In case you were thinking of escaping,” Lex adds, as if reading her thoughts, “ _Don’t._ This building has one of the most sophisticated surveillance systems in the city. And it’s filled with armed guards at all hours of the day and night. I know it will take you a while to adjust to your new life, but adjust you will. Just give it time.” He walks over to kiss her, but she evades him and collapses into an armchair. 

 

Lex clears his throat and blinks, slighted by her behavior. “I’ll be going now,” he announces. 

 

He’s terrible company, but the moment he leaves is the moment that Lena realizes she’s utterly alone and _possibly_ helpless. She takes drastic action, smashing the crystals bowls to use the shards as weapons. The goons come running and she slashes them both before they manage to wrestle the broken pieces away from her. She tries and fails to steal one of their security cards. 

 

The matronly servants clean the blood from her hands, wondering at how she managed to avoid getting cut herself. They tut in disapproval, and after that, they are much more careful about the rooms Lena enters, taking away any object that might be used against them. 

 

By the time they call Lena for dinner, she’s worked out several more calculating plans. She finds herself sitting alone in a large dining room, and the silverware conspicuously absent from the table. 

 

_“Lena.”_

 

His deep voice jolts her out of her thoughts, and she startles easily from it. 

 

One of her brother’s business acquaintances, Morgan Edge, stands at the end of the long dining table. His wolfish grin spreads from one side of his mouth to the other, his teeth gleaming. 

 

With so much pomp in his step, he wanders over to her. His staff filter into the room behind him, setting the table with a feast. 

 

He drops a bottle of tablets right in front of Lena’s place and then leans back, propped against the table while he leers down at her. “I suggest you eat plenty tonight, because I’m going to give you some pills to enhance your already strong heat,” he informs her. “You will need the nourishment.”

 

Removing the lid on the bottle, he dumps three pills into his hand and drops them into a glass of fizzy champagne. The pills dissolve in the liquid and he pushes the glass in front of her face. “Drink up.” 

 

Lena has no choice, not with all of the armed guards and staff in the dining room, and she gulps down her champagne all at once. 

 

A single glass won’t hurt the baby, and the pills should actually benefit her growth, but Lena worries about what else will come _after_ drinking this concoction.

 

The guards disperse along with the servants, and Lena craftily takes her revenge. She distracts Morgan by playing with the neckline of her dress. He puts his own champagne glass down. It’s enough time to steal some of his pills, which are meant only for omegas and betas, and drop them into his glass. 

 

He’s completely focused on her breasts and not on what she’s doing behind him. For all he knows, she’s only resting her hand on the table. 

 

“You don’t know me that well, Lena, but I’m a business man,” Edge murmurs, and then he lifts a single lock of her hair to sniff. It sends a shudder through Lena and she looks up at him in repulsion, unable to hide it. “Your omega heat is unlike any other,” he continues on, unfazed. “It’s what I would call a hot commodity, and if I can keep you in a perpetual heat cycle, I will do it. Not only to breed you constantly, but because I plan to parade you around at all of my board meetings. Everyone will be so distracted by you that I’ll have no trouble negotiating my deals.” 

 

Edge raises his champagne glass and swallows down his drink with five of the pills, all dissolved and undetectable. 

 

It’s a small victory, one which makes Lena laugh. “So what you’re saying is that you plan to exploit me in every way possible,” she summarizes. “I don’t suppose you chose me as your omega because of my intellect. Do you even plan to let me attend university in the spring?”

 

Edge shares in her laughter, as if her questions are jokes and not to be taken seriously. “There’s no need,” he gruffly insists. “Educating an omega is a waste of financial resources and time. Your place is in the home with our children. But you can still contribute to the household in the ways I’ve already outlined.”

 

Lena grips the arms of her chair, tempted to lash out as Edge takes his seat at the head of the table. She’s been placed far enough away for comfort during their evening meal. 

 

He does not have to tell her to eat a second time, because her stomach grumbles. As much as she feels like she might be sick afterwards, Lena’s first priority is the health and well-being of her baby. She helps herself to the turkey, root vegetables and bread.

 

“I’m glad to see you have such a hearty appetite,” Edge remarks, lifting a turkey leg to his lips to bite ferociously. “It should keep you nice and strong.”

 

Lena refuses to speak to him to the point he becomes frustrated with her silence. 

 

“What, don’t you want to get better acquainted with me?” Edge asks. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about who I am? I’m curious about you.”

 

“Are you?” Lena snorts and wipes her lips with a napkin. “Ask me something about myself, then.”

 

“Alright, what’s your cup size?” Edge snickers and spoons another heap of mashed potatoes onto his plate, which he layers with thick gravy. “My guess is a C. I’m hoping for D’s when you’re pregnant.”

 

Lena murders him twice in her mind, the first time by waterboarding him with gravy, and the second time with the carving knife. She blames her Luthor instincts for kicking in, for putting these images in her head. “Do you have any questions that don’t involve objectifying me?” she asks. 

 

Edge halts with his fork halfway to his mouth and then flashes her a winning smile. “How are those pills hitting you?” he asks. _Still objectifying._

 

Lena feels her face grow warm from shame over the undeniable wetness in her panties. “Oh, they aren’t that strong,” she lies. “Or maybe you’re just that unappealing.” 

 

Edge chuckles at that and begins to loosen his tie. “Are you finished with your meal?” he rumbles. “If so, take your dress off.” 

 

His blunt way of talking almost makes her gasp, and she glares at him in disgust. “Absolutely not,” Lena spits. “Besides, I’m still eating.” 

 

Lena pushes her mashed potatoes around on her plate, and then she picks up another slice of bread, crumbling it out of habit. It’s how she eats when she’s nervous, by ripping off tiny pieces. 

 

The grandfather clock along the far wall of the dining room reveals that it’s thirty minutes after Kara should have arrived on her balcony. 

 

Kara must know by now that she isn’t at home, but Lena has no way of telling her about this dire situation. She can picture Kara’s disappointed face when she finds the balcony window shut. It makes Lena lose her appetite and she could cry, except she’s smart enough to control herself. 

 

Lena stalls with eating, until Edge finally loses patience and pushes his chair back. He stalks over to her and she stands, attempting to retreat from him, but he grabs both of her wrists. 

 

She screams and Morgan throws her over his shoulder, carrying her from the dining room and into the bedroom. The servants have left the sheer night gown resting on the bed. 

 

“Go ahead and change into that.” Edge commands and goes into the bathroom to shave his face. Lena can hear the sounds of the faucet, the shaving cream and his soft whistling. 

 

Lena attempts to unlatch the window in the bedroom, and when that fails to work, she considers throwing a shoe through the glass, but that will make noise. She opens all of the drawers in Edge’s bedroom, finding only useless items and clothes, including a large collection of black tube socks and golfing outfits. 

 

“You’d better be in bed and wearing that nightie when I get back,” Edge calls out from the bathroom, his voice projected by the tiled space. 

 

Lena grabs a thin tie from Edge’s closet and stashes it underneath a pillow. She then undresses as fast as she can, avoiding the sight of her nakedness in the large mirror that hangs in front of Edge’s bed. 

 

Slipping the night gown on, Lena risks glancing at herself once, just to see how exposed she will be to Edge’s eyes. 

 

The sheer blue gown hides nothing, and Lena traces an areola through the fabric as she watches herself. Kara would like this, not the situation but the night gown, and it pains Lena when she thinks of how close Kara had gotten to claiming her earlier that afternoon. She rushes to get under the blankets on the bed, tucking her body out of sight as she prepares to defend herself. 

 

Her hand tightens around the necktie she’s stashed under the pillow. She wonders if she’s capable of strangling Morgan if the need calls for it. 

 

“I’m back,” Edge boasts from the doorway, although he seems frustrated. Lena notices the conspicuous absence of a bulge in his pants. He seems to realize it, too, and spins away from her while he tries to figure out what’s going on. The pills that are exclusively meant for omegas will prevent Edge from getting what he wants. 

 

“What’s the matter, Morgan, _lost your edge?_ ” Lena lilts, with an arch of her left eyebrow and a devious smile. 

 

“You little bitch,” Edge grunts and his face scrunches up in anger at the way Lena has thwarted his plans. “What did you do?” He encroaches on her with a predatory glint in his eyes. 

 

“Only what you did to me,” Lena purrs with a quirk of her lips meant to taunt him. “I spiked your drink. I made you impotent.” The possible aggressiveness of an alpha should never be underestimated, but Lena’s too proud to frighten easily. 

 

Edge wants to intimidate her, and she finds her own power in lounging on the bed and treating him like he’s beneath her. 

 

He raises his hand to strike her and then hesitates, sneering down at Lena’s unflinching courage. “Lucky for you I don’t break pretty things that are _mine,_ ” he grunts. “But make no mistake - you have only postponed the inevitable. I will have you, Lena, and when I do, don’t expect me to be gentle.” 

 

Lena laughs defiantly, her lip curled in a daring little snarl. “Trust me, I have very low expectations in general.” 

 

Edge could threaten to smack her again, but he refrains and merely laughs along with her. 

 

Lena’s starting to notice the fuller effects of the tablets on her own body, and a deep longing for Kara makes them even more effective. 

 

Edge yanks back the blankets, peers down at the mess beneath her on the bed and gapes at her in both appreciation and hatred. “Soon you’re going to be so aroused that you’ll have to touch yourself for relief,” he smirks. “I’m waiting for that, Lena. At least I’ll be able to enjoy the show then, until I can be the main performer. Why don’t you get some rest in the meantime?” 

 

He pulls secure bars over the bathroom door. “For now, no bathroom privileges,” he explains, then locks her into the bedroom from the outside. “I have a few calls to make and then I’ll be back. Shouldn’t be long until I’m all fired up again. Make the most of your last few hours of being a single omega.”


	6. Chapter 6

It’s only been a few short hours but to Kara it feels like days. She’s hovering outside Lena’s window, a couple of feet above the balcony, peering into the dark room with narrowed eyes. She checks her watch again, and flies around the building, using her x-ray vision to spot several guards and Lex, but there’s no sign of Lena anywhere. 

 

“Something’s not right.” Kara mutters and lands on Lena’s balcony quietly. 

 

Before she does anything stupid, Kara calls Alex, her words a rush of panic as she spits, “Alex she isn’t here. I don’t think she ever was.”

 

“Wait, you don’t think he did something, do you? I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him.” Alex hisses down the line.

 

“I have to find her, I have to — if he’s hurt her, I’ll – ” 

 

Kara’s panic is almost overwhelming, and Alex cuts her off sharply, “Kara you need to be smart. You can’t just smash your way to answers.”

 

“Well I’m not going to ask him!” Kara bites back in irritation. “I need to get in there and look around, see if there’s a lead, anything that will tell me where she might be.”

 

“Whatever you do, do not let him know you’re there, Kara. He’s dangerous, even to you. I’ll tell mom what’s going on, but you,” Alex warns, in a way only a sister can, “stay safe, and call me the second you find anything. Then get the hell out of there.”

 

“I will.” Kara vows, hanging up swiftly before she wastes any more time. She pulls the sliding door open, her face hard with determination as she searches for any of Lena’s bags. None of them are there, not a single present, and the room doesn’t smell like she’s been in it at all. 

 

“Where are you?” Kara asks the empty space where Lena should be, her fingers tracing over her desk as if it could connect them.

 

It’s risky, but she slips out of Lena’s bedroom and heads down the spacious hall. The guards are on the first two floors, and none appear to be up here. Lex is on the first floor, so she makes a beeline for what she assumes is his room. The door is locked, and she knows better than to leave a trail of destruction behind her, but this is for Lena. She would demolish the whole mansion if it meant finding her.

 

Kara uses her strength to break the mechanism. She catches the door handle as it falls apart and sets it down gently. The room is luxurious and the desk filled with journals. Kara flips through them, sneering at all of Lex’s pretentious thoughts until she finds one page that’s just a list. All of the words are struck through, except for one in the middle of the page that he’s circled. “Edge.” Kara whispers to herself, “Edge of what?” She frowns, her fingers ghosting the sides of his desk, looking for any buttons or latches. She moves around the room, using her x-ray vision to find hidden compartments and safes tucked behind bookshelves and paintings. None have any information as to where Lena might be and Kara finds herself flicking through the rolodex on Lex’s desk. She stiffens when she notices a business card for Morgan Edge and her heart sinks to her feet, feeling like lead.

 

Morgan Edge is well-known for being a cutthroat entrepreneur, and he’s at least double Lena’s age, with a reputation for not just business, but also a vast network of professional connections. Of course he would be Lex’s Alpha of choice for Lena.

 

Kara’s so fast as she leaves that she almost shatters the glass door leading to the balcony. She’s in the air in an instant, shouting through her cell phone the moment Alex picks up, “Morgan Edge! Lex has given Lena to Morgan Edge. I need you to get his address, or I’m going to start flying through penthouses until I find her!” Kara hysterically states. “If he finds out Lena is pregnant, if he claims her – ”

 

“Kara, please Kara, calm down,” Alex instructs, just as frantic in her need to help and protect her sister. “I’m getting you his address now and then Mom and I are driving down to the city. You need to be cautious in how you handle all of this. For all you know, Lex is onto you and this could be a set up.” Kara can hear typing in the background as Alex searches for Morgan Edge’s address online. “It’s the penthouse located at 75 Broadway.” 

 

“I’m on my way.” Kara blurts, hanging up before Alex can try to talk her down further. She’s so fast the world below is a blur of lights, and she’s across the city in under thirty seconds. Her emotions are so heightened that she’s not thinking, has no strategy, and doesn’t even check to see how many people are inside the building. Kara does what she always does in a crisis, and flies full speed and straight for the window. Except this time, she doesn’t go through it as planned, and slams into it face first with a bang so loud the whole panel shakes, but doesn’t break.

 

Morgan Edge deals in construction, and Kara should have known he’d have reinforced glass to stop anything, even Supergirl, from getting in.

 

Kara’s plummeting when she comes to with a groan, her eyes bleary and head throbbing. She stops short of hitting the sidewalk with people gasping in shock, and shoots off once more to land on the top of the building. She’s disoriented from the impact, and staggers as she gets her bearings. The sound of her cellphone is jarring and she answers with a grunt.

 

“Are you there? Is she okay?” Alex is asking, and Kara can hear Eliza saying some colorful things about the Luthors and Edge.

 

“Super reinforced windows,” Kara croaks down the line, her speech a little slurred as she shakes the impact off. “Not inside yet. Gonna use the roof door and work my way down.”

 

“You need to be prepared in case they have Kryptonite, Kara,” Alex warns, and Eliza follows that up with an angry rant in a hysterical and high-pitched tone of voice. “Lex is capable of anything. Get Lena out of there if you can. I’ll be there to give you back up as soon as possible.”

 

“I’m on it.” Kara announces, hanging up to strut towards the only door on the roof of the building. There’s a high risk to barreling through it, but Kara takes it, booting it open with enough force to take it straight off the hinges and into one of Edge’s guards. It smacks him off his feet and Kara stomps over him, using her ice breath to knock the next two straight down the stairs. She’s down them in seconds, rounding a corridor with an elevator that requires a card. She snarls at it and uses her finger tips to wedge between the sleek metal, wrenching it open with a sickening screech. Pressing the button for Morgan’s suit so roughly it shatters, she cracks her knuckles in preparation to punch his head off.

 

She arrives with a _ding_ and four men are already waiting on her, guns pointed towards her as she steps out. They fire uselessly, spraying bullets that ricochet off of her and the walls, shattering some of Edge’s possessions. “Idiots.” Kara spits, grabbing the guy on the left to rip his gun from his hand. She hurls it at the next guy, slamming it against his forehead before backhanding the first and kicking the third squarely in the gut. He lands heavily against the fourth, and she knocks him out with a swift uppercut. 

 

“Lena?” Kara yells. “Are you here?” She can smell her like a strong perfume, and rushes ahead without thought.

 

Not far off, she hears a muffled cry, accompanied by the frantic thuds of Lena’s heart.

 

Edge emerges from the bedroom at the end of the hall with a group of guards that flock around him. “Did you come for Miss Luthor?” he barks with a laugh.

 

There’s a deep red mark around Edge’s neck – an unmistakable sign that he’s been choked. His mussed hair stands on end, and his shirt is unbuttoned halfway over a lightweight undershirt. “You’re too late,” Edge brags. “That little omega slut gave me everything I wanted, and I do mean _everything._ What won’t she do when her heat is strong? Mmm.” 

 

 _Liar._

 

The armed guards also have injuries — scratch marks on their faces, trickles of blood that suggest someone punched them hard and with good aim, too. _Lena._

 

With her x-ray vision, Kara can see her: slumped on the floor of the bedroom, bound at both the wrists and ankles and gagged with a blue tie. She’s wearing a tattered night gown and the scents of her could attract every alpha within a five mile radius. 

 

Since Kara’s arrival, Lena’s pheromones have gotten stronger, and there’s a new spice to it, which announces to all that she’s prime for the taking. It’s both a distress signal and an urgent appeal for an alpha to claim her.

 

Kara snarls at the language Morgan uses and clenches her fists, her eyes piercing as she sneers, “We both know that of all the things Lena Luthor _wouldn’t_ do, you’re top of the list, Edge. But drugging her to increase her heat, just to try and get what you want? That’s low, even for you.”

 

Edge steps closer with a slow smile, an almost jovial bounce to his step as he intones, “I don’t know what they practice on your planet, but this is the real world, sweetheart. Everything is business, and this is none of yours.”

 

Kara bristles, and moves towards him as she growls out in warning, “Let Lena go, or—”

 

“Or what?” Edge laughs, raising his hands as if in invitation, his lips quirking into a smirk as he watches her hesitate. “You have no authority here, Supergirl, and the only way Lena’s leaving with you is over my dead body.” He takes another step closer, his smile vanishing as an innocent curiosity takes its place, and he supplies smugly, “And you’re not capable of murder.”

 

“You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Kara bites out fiercely, getting into his face as she balls her fists and thinks about crushing his skull between her bare hands.

 

Edge doesn’t even flinch, his eyes sparkling as he acerbically snorts, “Look at you, no killer instinct. It’s just not in you.”

 

“We’ll see about that.” Kara snarls viciously, grabbing him by the front of his shirt to hoist him off his feet. She can hear the frenetic beating of Lena’s heart, the undercurrent of their child’s punctuating it, and she tightens her hold on him, seething as she spits, “You might find you’re the exception.” She threatens darkly, her pupils blown wide.

 

Surprise flickers over Edge’s face, his features hardening as he laughs gruffly. “Her heat is affecting you too.” He realizes, and yells at his guards, “Open the door!”

 

The closest one kicks it in, and Lena’s heat hits them instantaneously like the blast from an explosion, knocking them off balance. Kara drops Edge as she staggers back, her body aching and muscles straining as she tries to stay standing. His guards fall to their knees with a pained groan and Kara hisses between her teeth as her entire being screams for Lena in return.

 

Kara’s willpower is only mildly stronger than the influx of Lena’s heat, and she watches as the guards all reel from the pull of it, some turning towards the door before thinking better of it. Edge keeps them in place with a snarl, like well trained dogs that know better than to cross him twice. “What the hell are you waiting for!” He yells, pointing towards Supergirl. “Stop her!”

 

The guards charge at Supergirl, determined to take her down through sheer force of will. They ram into her with their shields and swing at her face, attempting to inflict damage in every way possible. Edge leaves them to handle Supergirl and strides back into the bedroom. 

 

Lena glances up from her place on the floor, regarding him with teary eyes while she clamps her legs tightly closed. She curses him, but the gag in her mouth prevents her from forming clear words. 

 

Edge puts his hand under Lena’s back and lifts her up, only to drop her on the bed. She kicks at him weakly with her bound feet, unable to do more than prod him.

 

“It seems even Supergirl isn’t immune to your extreme heat,” Edge reports, laughing in glee as he strokes the side of Lena’s face. “And I have to say, I could smell your desire shift into overdrive the second she arrived. I wonder what your esteemed family would think of that. A Luthor, sexually desperate for a Super. I can only imagine the breeding potential.” 

 

Lena waits until he’s close and then headbutts him so forcefully he stumbles back and screams. 

 

Outside the bedroom, the guards are faring no better. Kara lets out a roar as she speeds forward, tackling the closet guy so hard that she sends him through the wall and right into the maids that are hiding in the kitchen. They run screaming, trampling him in their haste while the guards jump Kara from behind. One coils around her, trying to choke her, and she pulls him off her back like a sweater and hurls him against the reinforced window with a growl of frustration. He bounces off it roughly, smacking his head hard enough to leave a bloody streak as he crumples on the floor, out cold.

 

“Aaaarrrrrgghh!” Screams one of them, charging her like a bull. Kara throws her arm out and uses his momentum against him as she swipes forward, hitting him across the neck and knocking him off his feet. The last guy looks wild, fear and panic making his eyes dart around the room and then he braces for the fight, raising his fists as he trembles in place.

 

One of Lex’s goons appears behind him, shoving him aside with a disgusted grunt of, “Amateurs.”

 

The goon wastes no time in pulling out a taser, and with a click, sends the hooks flying towards Kara. They shimmer green, and sink into her chest as he presses the button to shock her. A strangled cry rips from Kara’s throat as she seizes from the current. It wouldn’t have harmed her if not for it being laced with kryptonite. 

 

“Make yourself useful.” He bellows, tossing a can of altered mace towards Edge’s guard. Empowered by the new weapon, the guard struts forward, but Kara’s eyes are manic as she spots the threat. A mist of kryptonite wouldn’t just hurt her. It would hurt Lena and their baby, and Kara reacts mercilessly as she grabs the barbs imbedded in her flesh and rips them out with a ferocious yell. She throws them with precision, sending them into the guard with the spray. He drops like a sack of rocks, trembling and jerking. She’s on the goon before he can drop the taser, punching him so forcefully that he takes the furniture with him as he sails backwards.

 

“EDGE!” Kara shouts, turning towards the bedroom just in time to see him grabbing for Lena. She wrenches Edge off her by the back of his neck and slams him into the wall so hard it cracks, splintering along the ceiling like spiderwebs in plaster.  
Kara takes one look at Lena, and the rage within her strengthens her despite how the kryptonite weakened her. She pulls the gag from Lena’s mouth and rips the bonds off of her arms and ankles before spinning towards Edge with a murderous glint in her eyes.

 

Morgan sees it, and scrambles onto his feet as he holds his hands up. “Wait, you can’t touch me. It goes against everything you capes stand for.” He hurriedly reasons.

 

“Does it?” Kara mocks him, stalking closer, relishing the fear he feels. _Fear that Lena had felt for hours at his hands._ She throws a punch, deliberately missing his head by an inch as bricks turn to dust from the impact. It’s easy to demolish the wall with a single hit in her fury. 

 

Cold air rushes inside the room from the hole she’s made and Edge’s eyes widened. “If you do this, the citizens of our great city will never trust you again. You’ll be the villain. Not the hero.”

 

Kara’s not listening to him. She’s seeing red and her hand clamps around his throat as she forces him out of the building until he dangles uselessly above the city she swore she’d protect.

 

He grabs onto her with desperation, his face turning purple as he wheezes, “If you kill me you’ll prove that Lex has been right all along! You’re just a danger to the world, a threat they’ll want to take out.”

 

Lena rises from the bed and dashes to Kara’s side, almost as ruthless in how she faces off with Edge. 

 

If Lena’s scathing looks alone determined his fate, he would already be splattered on the sidewalk below. 

 

The buzz of hormones inside of Lena scream for her to defend their child. It’s in the scent that ripples through the air around them, revealing to Kara how deeply threatened the omega feels. 

 

“Don’t.” Lena articulates sharply, her voice breaking at the end. “Don’t harm him.” 

 

It’s at clear odds with Lena’s wish to see him punished. In spite of her desire for revenge and her weakened bodily state, Lena still shows restraint. “Supergirl. You’ve proven time and time again that you are humane, fair and noble. All of your good deeds will be forgotten if you act alone in judging and executing him. Why not let Edge answer for his crimes in the public eye?”

 

“What crimes?” Edge scoffs and kicks his feet, too stupid to keep his mouth shut. “You think anyone will care about what I did to _you_?”

 

Lena firmly squeezes Kara’s bicep, attempting to soothe her as Edge throws criticisms her way and gives Kara even more reason to drop him.

 

“You are Luthor scum and nothing more than an omega!” Edge grunts, placing both of his hands over Kara’s in an attempt to hang on. 

 

“Luthor scum?” comes an unexpected voice, and Lena’s mother appears in the doorway, with the coldest countenance and eyes that pierce. Lex’s goons have gathered around Lillian and her own set of minions follow dutifully at her heels.

 

Lillian purses her lips together and fixates on Edge, then she takes in the sight of Lena, and how her hand is clutching Supergirl in way that smacks of familiarity. “Listen to my daughter, Supergirl, before you create a mess you can’t fix.”

 

In truth, it’s Lena’s reaction to seeing her mother that ultimately snaps Kara out of her blind rage. She sees Lena’s knees buckle, as though she’s about to faint, and pulls Edge back inside to drop him unceremoniously onto the floor, then she rushes to steady Lena.

 

“Take him.” Lillian asserts with a snap of her fingers, and her minions rush to collect Edge. “I heard about Lex’s decisions for you, Lena, and let’s just say I couldn’t have disagreed more.”

 

There’s a cool, calculating glint in Lillian’s eyes as she quirks an eyebrow at her daughter. “Foolish of him not to realize you’d already picked a mate. I can’t say I’m thrilled with the discovery, or that I even approve, but when it comes to partners I suppose there are worse choices than—” She pauses, locking eyes with Supergirl as she sniffs haughtily, “Kara Danvers.”

 

Kara stiffens imperceptibly, and they stare at one another in silence until Kara gruffly asks, “How did you—”

 

“A mother always knows.” Lillian cuts her off sharply, and then lifts her chin and narrows her eyes disdainfully. “Well what are you waiting for? My daughter needs help, so do what you do best.”

 

“And Edge?” Kara snarls, wrapping her arms protectively around Lena. 

 

Lena’s heat is so strong that touching her is akin to holding fire and yet Kara can’t get enough. She can feel herself succumbing to it, even as she fights her instincts.

 

“Will be dealt with accordingly.” Lillian supplies without any hint of remorse.

 

In the safety of Kara’s embrace, Lena almost slips out of consciousness. She takes a shuddery, deep breath and then shut her eyes. The heat pills are finally in full effect now, boosting her libido to a dangerous high. On the streets below, there are sounds of civil unrest and the intervention of the citywide forces, who have come to prevent an even greater crisis. “Shh… should go,” Lena mutters incoherently. 

 

With one last, lingering look at Lillian, Kara takes to the sky with Lena before she loses the focus for flight. Below them, crowds have begun gathering and traffic is at a standstill. From her vantage point Kara can see Eliza’s car, and when she concentrates she can hear her swearing in tandem with Alex. She can’t work a cellphone and carry Lena at the same time, so she flies down and frightens the hell out of them when she opens the door to yell, “Taking her to Cat Grant. Will call you.” She’s gone before they can even form a response.

 

It doesn’t surprise Professor Grant when Supergirl appears on her balcony the same way it doesn’t surprise her when the sun rises. Some things are just destined to repeat, but what does evoke a gasp is the condition of Lena, and she can’t help the way she swings open the glass door to begin a tirade. “Of all the reckless things you’ve ever done, Supergirl, this is by far the worst. My god, if Miss Luthor runs any hotter she could boil her own organs. Do you have any idea the danger you’ve put her in by allowing this charade to last this long without claiming her as your mate? And the city for that matter. Get her in here before you bring the whole neighborhood to my door.”

 

Kara is jittery from holding Lena, and she stumbles over herself under Professor Grant’s appalled scrutiny. “I know, I know, but I — I didn’t know what else to do.” She blurts out a fast explanation of what happened, but Professor Grant doesn’t seem surprised. “Lex took her to Morgan Edge and he gave her pills to heighten her heat. Can you help her?”

 

“By telling you all of the obvious things you can do for her?” Professor Grant grumbles, beckoning Kara towards the door to the master bathroom. “Just go, put Miss Luthor into the tub and use your ice breath to cool her down. I’ll see if I can mix together a remedy to soften the effects of the heat pills. But there is another more expedient option.”

 

Lena’s head drops onto Kara’s shoulder and she begins to shake, all through her spine and skull. Her teeth grit together and she whimpers low in her throat. “Kara. Baby,” she breathes out in fright. “Our baby.”

 

Professor Grant’s eyebrows shoot up and she stalks over to a cabinet to grab ingredients that will naturally soothe an omega’s heat. “Kara, monitor Lena’s heartbeat and the heartbeat of your child,” she calls. “Into the bathroom with you. Now. Scoot.”

 

“It’s okay. You’re both going to be okay. Just breathe.” Kara utters softly, placing Lena into the tub before she turns both taps on to fill it faster. She chills it with her breath every few seconds, and it must feel excruciating for Lena, to have cool water splashing against her overheated skin. It breaks Kara’s heart to have to do this after everything Lena has already gone through, and she can hear how frenzied her pulse is racing and the incredible speed of their child’s heart. 

 

It’s a shock to the system, the drop in temperature, and Kara climbs into the tub to hold Lena, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead as she rocks her gently against her chest. “I’m sorry Lena,” Kara whispers, her voice hoarse. “I’m so sorry.”

 

They are in the tub for half an hour and Lena doesn’t seem to be getting any better. 

 

Lena’s teeth chatter and she lies back against Kara, trembling all over in spite of the extreme fever she’s running. Her eyelashes frost over with tiny ice crystals, but it does little to counteract her sweltering burn. She slumps over, becoming dead weight in Kara’s arms as Alex bursts into the bathroom with Eliza and Professor Grant in tow. 

 

“Claim her,” Alex demands, not giving her mother or Professor Grant the chance to speak first. “Kara, you’re wasting valuable time that Lena may not have! Just take her into the bedroom—”

 

“Please, don’t do _that_ in my bed.” Professor Grant begs, then bends beside the bathtub and lifts Lena’s arm, enough to inject a different drug into her veins. “This should stabilize Miss Luthor for now. I booked you the suite at the hotel next door.” 

 

“I could just fly her back home.” Kara protests, and her confusion is palpable as she frowns up at the three of them. “You didn’t need to book us a room, I mean _that’s_ —”

 

“Practical.” Cat states sharply, leaving no way for Kara to protest as she asserts, “because Lena’s been through enough without you dragging her across the city again, and despite your powers, you’re in no shape to fly anywhere. Don’t think I missed the way you’ve been trembling. Alex has already informed me your suppressors haven’t been working and quite frankly it’s no surprise considering Miss Luthor is carrying your child. Now stop dallying and get out of my tub.”

 

Kara can’t meet Eliza’s eyes as she climbs out of the bath and soaks the floor beneath her. “We—we were going to tell you on Christmas.” She mumbles, lifting Lena into her arms to cradle against her.

 

“Kara…” Eliza lilts, placing her hand on her shoulder to squeeze gently. “You’re great at so many things but keeping secrets from me has never been one of them. I knew the moment you brought Lena home for the holidays.”

 

“Plus I told her when you called to say Lena was missing.” Alex adds wryly, and shrugs as she stuffs her hands into her pockets.

 

Lena’s half-lidded eyes can barely focus and she struggles to lift her head. “So everyone knows,” she croaks hoarsely. “Including my mother.”

 

“Wait, your mother found out about the pregnancy? How?” Alex blusters, instantly on high alert. 

 

“I informed Lillian Luthor that her son Lex was in the process of selecting an alpha for Lena, and that the particular alpha in question was a bastard twice her age,” Professor Grant reveals with a flick of her wrist, as it to disregard the importance of her actions. “I have a connection with someone at the press and there were rumors afoot. I assume Lillian showed up at Edge’s penthouse tonight? Honestly, even if she was getting coffee down the street, I bet she could have figured out that Lena is still in heat due to being unclaimed and pregnant.”

 

“She uh—she knows my identity.” Kara quietly informs them, and there’s a heavy silence that descends the group as they process that.

 

It’s Eliza that speaks first, her voice firm as she announces, “Well she isn’t going to share that information with anyone. She made her decision when she let you leave with Lena.”

 

“You can’t be serious?” Alex blurts, outraged at how cavalier her mom seems about this. “They _hate_ Kryptonians. She’ll never—”

 

“Hurt her grandchild or her daughter.” Eliza calmly states, her gaze lingering on Kara as she adds, “Lillian is a lot of things, Alex, but when it comes to family she’d do anything for her children, like any mother would.”

 

“Alex, in the kitchen you’ll find a lovely bottle of Scotch in the freezer.” Cat says breezily, waving her hand in the direction she wants her to go in. “Be a dear and pour out three glasses.”

 

“Three?” Kara asks, frowning as she holds Lena closer. Her heat is lowering, but their urges certainly aren’t and she can feel the restless way Lena is sliding against her. Not fully intentional so much as instinctive, needing the contact as much as craving the stimulation. It’s a wonder how Lena hasn’t lost her mind yet from the intensity of it all.

 

“It’s been quite a night, Supergirl, and the least I can do is help to take the _edge_ off.” Cat smirks to herself, enjoying her joke as she presses her fingertips against her lips before she flicks them towards the door in a shooing manner. “Eliza and Alex are welcome to spend the night, but you two most certainly are not. You have a room already waiting. I suggest you put it to good use. Chop chop.”

 

“Please, take me to the hotel, Kara,” Lena whispers, her lips hovering over Kara’s mouth as her eyes slide over all of the places she wants to kiss. Her low, scratchy moan borders on pornographic. “Claim me. I can’t stand this another second. I need you to be my alpha, tonight and always.”

 

“Okay, time for alcohol,” Alex declares loudly and hurries off to the kitchen to retrieve the drinks. 

 

“Be safe, you two,” Eliza says in parting and steps back, distancing herself from the quiet talk of the couple. 

 

“One last thing.” Cat states, and walks off to fetch a luxurious-looking blanket that she passes over to Kara. “You may wrap her in this but don’t you dare do anything more with it, or on it. As far as blankets go, I like this one. And I expect it back within two days, _washed._ ”

 

“Thank you.” Kara whispers, finding the whole situation thoroughly embarrassing. She wraps the blanket around Lena, covering the tattered, see-through nightie and scoops her up before anyone else can say another word. In a fast blur she’s back to being Kara, her glasses on and cape gone as she half carriers Lena out of the apartment and into the lobby of the hotel across the street.

 

“We, uh — there’s a reservation for uh, Kara Danvers.” Kara croaks, noticing the way the woman behind the desk reddens from Lena’s pheromones. Guests arriving and leaving are all staring at them, unable to disguise the way they’re affected as Kara grabs for the room key and dashes them to the elevator.

 

The moment the doors close, they’re on one another, kissing desperately with low, keening whimpers that speak only of need. By the time the elevator opens, Kara’s glasses are crooked and lipstick is smeared over her face. Lena’s barely wrapped in the blanket and Kara’s shirt is partially unbuttoned. The elderly couple waiting on the other side looks particularly scandalized and Kara mutters and apology as she leads Lena down the hall and into the room.

 

Lena does her best to appear dignified while she strolls along, but as soon as they step foot into the darkened hotel room, she drops the blanket from her shoulders. 

 

As Kara finishes fumbling with the light, Lena draws her a smoldering look and leaps into her waiting arms. Her cheeks are completely flushed with rosy warmth, and her body soft from the bath. She pushes the damp ends of her long wet hair away from the back of her neck. They kiss, tongues gliding together as they both smile, and Kara blindly carries Lena towards the bed. Gentle at first, their kisses become rougher and nipping, teeth drawing blood in their mutual frenzy for sexual gratification. 

 

“Please, Kara… please.” Lena breaks down from the agony of denying her urges for so long when Kara attempts to go slow and kiss her throat. “Romance later. I need you inside of me.”

 

There’s a groan that sticks in the back of Kara’s throat as she finally gives in to her baser urges and stops trying to control her speed. 

 

She’s afraid of hurting Lena, of losing herself to her instincts, but Lena’s like a drug to her right now and Kara’s whole body needs a fix. Her trembling hands stop ghosting over Lena’s skin and instead they tear the nightie from her in one long rip. Hot palms and strong fingers dig into Lena’s hips and Kara flips her onto the mattress so effortlessly that Lena lands on her hands and knees. 

 

Kara’s out of her clothes in an instant and behind Lena before she can catch her breath. “I’m going to make you mine.” Kara vows gruffly, her thick length so rigid that she’s pressing into Lena already, parting her slick pussy lips with her cock. 

 

Kara grasps Lena’s hips and she pulls her into the first, rough thrust. She sinks fully into her liquid heat with a hiss of pleasure and her thighs slam into Lena’s backside.

 

Lena lowers herself into an even deeper bend, cheek down on the mattress with her ass raised high in the air. The angle of her body grants a more thorough penetration, and Kara’s cock notches into her vagina in a way Lena’s never allowed it to before. 

 

Kara’s penis rests against her cervix and fills her narrow canal with its entire bulk, massaging her little cunt open with every fluid motion. “Claim me as your omega,” Lena rumbles. “Make me yours to mate and breed. There’s no need to be gentle. Give in to your alpha drives, Kara. I can handle all of your needs.”

 

Some part of Kara wonders if Lena understands what she’s asking of her, but she’s so far gone that she acts on the assurances Lena breathes to life. 

 

Kara moves fluidly, a well-oiled machine with more power than anyone else on the planet. Her hands tighten, vices around Lena’s hips that hold her in place to take every rapid, forceful plunge of her cock. 

 

Lena’s so wet she spills arousal over the sheets and Kara can’t take her eyes off her reddened, puffy lips so swollen and eager for more. 

 

It sparks her alpha streak, and suddenly she’s kneeling on the bed, her strong hands pushing Lena’s shoulders into the mattress as she mounts her harder, taking her the way she wants. The sound of their mating fills the room, the slapping of Kara’s thighs against Lena’s heated skin echoing like a bass drum to the backdrop of their groans. She catches Lena’s hands fisting in the sheets and grabs them, holding both of her wrists against her lower back to pin her precisely how she desires.

 

Lena presses her face against a pillow and moans in soft, breathy cries of relief. She’s delirious with pleasure, mouth open and eyelids shut tight while Kara’s cock ruts into her. Her submissive position satisfies her omega longings and the surge of hormones that beg for an alpha. She anticipates the pain of Kara’s bite before it happens and tiny prickles form along her shoulders and pale back. 

 

Everything about the way Kara touches Lena becomes increasingly possessive as she succumbs to her alpha tendencies. There’s a building aggression in the way her hips jackhammer into Lena, a primal exigency to get as deep as possible inside her exquisitely hot cunt. 

 

The slick sounds and sharp smacks fade as Kara listens to Lena’s thunderous heartbeat and shifts to splay her legs on either side of Lena’s, flattening her against the bed as she blankets her body. Kara’s breaths are short and fast as her lips and teeth drag across the expanse of Lena’s shoulder, scraping erotically over her heated skin until Kara’s mouth is right there at the nape of her neck.

 

Warm exhales turn to languid licks as Kara growls low in her throat with animalistic longing, “You’re mine, Lena, you’re my omega,” She asserts with veneration, pressing her lips against Lena’s neck as she husks, “ _Forever._ ” Kara’s teeth part to clamp down on the swollen ridge at the nape of Lena’s neck, and she bites slowly, her tongue working over the flesh she’s captured as her teeth squeeze shut until an audible _crack_ vibrates under her lips and she claims Lena once and for all. 

 

It’s instantaneous, the way the new hormones permeate through Lena, changing her scent along with her pheromones, and Kara’s shift in turn, linking them inextricably. She keeps her teeth locked around the nape of Lena’s neck as she pounds into her, a display of dominance to reinforce that Kara’s her alpha.

 

Lena yields to it entirely and rocks with Kara, exulting in the pain and the wonderful endorphins that flood through her. “Only yours,” she rasps in agreement. The comforting scent in the air reflects their bond, and she lifts her head to look beneath her at their united bodies. Kara’s cock slots into her warm depths, and Lena stares in captivation at the first signs of a knot forming. It doubles in width now that Kara has staked claim, and it spreads Lena’s pussy with its throbbing bulk. Lena crouches forward with her knees as far apart as possible, a shift that lets her inner muscles take the hard pounding she needs, even with Kara’s knot swelling rapidly to full size. 

 

“This is what I’ve needed for so long,” Lena confesses. “Make me take it, Kara. I know you want it too. I can feel it.” Lena’s soft moans change as she pushes her face against the duvet and pleads seductively, “Give me your knot.”

 

Kara groans. She feels wild above Lena and every word of encouragement sends her deeper into the carnal urges she’s spent most of her life trying to restrain. But this is different, Lena is her mate, and Kara wants the control that comes with territory even if it shocks her in the moment. 

 

She snarls through her teeth, shifting her position as she hooks one arm under Lena to lift her ass up higher to take faster, powerful thrusts that rock the bed into the wall hard enough to knock pictures off the wall. “ _Make you take it._ ” Kara husks out, Lena’s words a mantra in her mind as she grabs onto her hips and forces herself into her scorchingly tight muscles. 

 

Every rough jostle forward pushes her knot in a little further, but it’s fully expanded now and the stretch of it will feel impossible for Lena. Kara grits her teeth at the pressure slowly enclosing around her and she watches voraciously at the way Lena’s glistening pink hole tries to accept the girth of her knot. She splays one hand over the dimples of Lena’s lower back, stroking her as she praises gruffly, “You’re doing so good, Lena. You’re so beautiful like this.” A strangled noise of pleasure sticks in Kara’s throat as she pushes forward, her thumb working over Lena’s slippery engorged clit as she whispers, “Just a little more for me.” When she finally sinks in it feels better than flying, better than the warmth of the sun on her skin, and Kara shudders from the euphoria of it.

 

Lena’s jaw shakes and the veins along her temple are visible from the effort of straining around Kara’s huge knot. Her breasts sway when Kara continues to drive into her, never fully withdrawing but still moving inside of her. She keens quietly, a repeated chant of incoherent syllables and soft _uh_ and _mmm_ sounds. “Please, more,” Lena pants desperately. “Please, Kara…. Please, please. I want to show you how good I am. What a good omega I’ll be for you.” 

 

True to her word, Lena moves her arms out in front of her and grips the blankets, prepared to accept whatever Kara can give. She tries to lift her head up this time, to allow Kara to bite or hold her neck again. Attempting to push herself up will put even more pressure on her already stuffed and aching vagina. Lena winces along her eyebrow, mouth twitching open and shut, but she perseveres in raising herself up by the arms and keeping her torso off the bed. “I see now why certain positions are preferred for staking first claim,” she whimpers. 

 

The shift evokes a filthy moan to vibrate up Kara’s throat and she moves her hand instinctively to clasp around Lena’s throat, her forefinger and thumb gripping Lena’s jaw as she angles her chin up. 

 

Kara forms a fist with her other hand and leans heavily into the bed with it to drape over Lena’s back. She nips and licks along the column of Lena’s neck with soft, rumbling growls of possession. 

 

When her lips find Lena’s ear, Kara whispers lustfully, “Think of all the new ones we can try now that you’re officially mine.” Her hips rock into Lena at a steady pace, pushing deeper than she’s ever been as she grinds against her backside. She can feel her own excitement building and husks erotically, “I can make love to you above the clouds where it’s all sunshine and stars. Or suspended above a waterfall, so the spray can kiss your skin as I rut you the way you need it.” The fantasies come easy as Kara recalls all the ones she kept to herself before telling Lena she was Supergirl. Now she can share them completely with her omega.

 

Lena holds tight to the blankets but still her body jolts forward with every slow but forceful thrust. The noise of Kara’s quads hitting her ass is much louder now, and the slick smacking sound of her pussy echoes in the large hotel suite. “I want you to feel at liberty to have me anywhere and whenever the mood strikes you,” she quietly asserts. 

 

Kara’s already picturing herself swooping down to take Lena, or dragging her off for lunch that quickly turns into mating. They were bold enough at the club, but now with endless possibilities due to her superpowers, Kara feels exhilaration at knowing she can have Lena any time she wants. Which might be a problem, because Kara’s desires are outlandishly bold, and she hungers for Lena enough to have her every day.

 

Kara’s thick cock head prods Lena deep inside, challenging her limits for what she can handle. Lena stares at the headboard in unblinking concentration, relaxing her muscles just enough. “This aches and I love it. I love feeling your knot stretch me.” Lena haltingly admits. “Oh, Kara, I’m going to come,” She groans, grinding her teeth together as her pussy narrows and clenches hard around Kara’s thick dick.

 

“Rao, Lena, you feel so good when you come around me…” The deliciously wet clamping of Lena’s inner muscles is consuming, and Kara gasps at the building pressure of it. Unrelenting pleasure throbs through her thick length in time with her heartbeat and she manages one last jerk forward as her cock pulses with release. Spurt after spurt of hot seed leaves Kara moaning, and she collapses from the sheer magnitude of the ecstasy it brings her. “If you weren’t pregnant before…” Kara teases in between pants, kissing and nuzzling at the nape of Lena’s neck as they enjoy this shared bliss.

 

Lena stills at Kara’s unspoken implications and pulls at her arms silently, making a request to be held closer. “I am though,” she reaffirms, almost a little disbelievingly. “I’m carrying your baby.”

 

“You are.” Kara echoes, her voice thick with emotion as she brushes her nose into Lena’s hair. There’s a fizzle inside Kara’s stomach, and it feels like excitement and wonder as she wraps around Lena and tucks her into her chest. Her hand falls naturally to the soft bump of her stomach and she splays her fingers out, cradling their child as much as her omega. 

 

“Pregnant _and_ claimed, two things I _never_ thought I would be,” Lena hums, biting her lower lip in consideration and narrowing her eyes. “But I don’t regret sleeping with you that first time.” Her lashes flutter low, lids heavy with exhaustion. 

 

The softest laugh bubbles up Kara’s throat as she remarks, “Well gee I hope not because you’re mine now, and if you regretted it that’d make this claiming thing way more awkward.” She’s grinning wide, too happy to care if she’s goofy and too goofy to care if she’s not like other alphas. None of it really matters, because for the first time since she landed on this planet, Kara feels like she’s got the whole sun in her arms. “I bet our daughter will have your eyes.” She whispers warmly, kissing the smooth skin of Lena’s shoulder. “Do you think she’ll be able to fly like me?”

 

“If she can fly, I’m going to weigh her down with those little sand bags they put on the end of balloons,” Lena ponders aloud, cocking her head to the side as she massages her neck in the spot where Kara has bitten her. “Or better yet, I’ll create some kind of device to prevent lift-off, at least until she’s out of diapers. When she’s older, she’ll be the only kid on our block who will _literally_ be grounded when she’s in trouble.” She licks the corner of her mouth, peering over at Kara, and it’s one of those times she might be joking or deadly serious. 

 

“That’s—” Kara sputters, torn between laughter and indignation as she gazes back at Lena. “That’s dastardly and brilliant, but just uh—just so we’re clear…” She coughs quietly, propping her head up with her hand to peer deeper into Lena’s eyes. “You’d only make something that worked on our daughter, right? Not like, on me, or anything?” In the back of her mind Kara is starting to realize that perhaps she should be worried. After all, her mate is literally a genius, and only moderately wicked when she wants to be.

 

“Why, are you planning to piss me off?” Lena asks with a grin that spreads until her dimples appear and she chuckles. She presses her mouth closer to Kara’s neck, so that her smile can be felt rather than seen. “If you have another secret life to confess, then I suggest you do it now, Kara. Although I don’t need a device to prevent _you_ from flying off. I have that covered in other ways.” Flicking her eyes meaningfully towards where their bodies are joined, she leans back in victory. 

 

Kara’s can’t help but find it amusing and she tries to assert herself by stating firmly, “Okay for the record, I never plan to get on your bad side, and I have nothing to confess, but say I make an innocent mistake. For example, if you’re craving something and I eat some of it, then by all means trap me here like this as punishment.” She’s far too earnest as she says it, her eyebrows reaching her hairline as she tries to keep the mischievous twinkle out of her bright blue eyes. “You know, ‘cause I’d totally deserve it.”

 

“Oh, I definitely think I’ll be favoring corporal punishment when it comes to you,” Lena lilts, but her grin only widens more, and she hooks her arm around the back of Kara’s neck as she pulls her in for kiss. She lets her eyelids droop flirtatiously, chewing her lip until they kiss again. “But tonight you saved me. You saved us. And you deserve only rewards.”

 

“Ooh, I like the sound of that.” Kara rumbles in response, her soft kisses soon becoming more passionate as they tangle together as best they can while being stuck together.

 

Lena’s laughter is rich and seductive as she quirks a dark eyebrow and intones, “Mm, I thought you might.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We decided to share the last chapter before Sunday, since we realized we won't be home and didn't want to make you wait. 
> 
> If you'd like to follow any of our social media, you can find us at: 
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> We're also open to prompts for future Supercorp fics, though it may be a while before we get to them. Thank you for reading!
> 
> Update, as of July 23: We started an epilogue for this story. Still not sure when it will be available, but it's in progress. ;)


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